[A biliary endocrine cell carcinoma: a report of two cases]

An endocrine cell carcinoma is a carcinoid tumor that has an especially malignant prognosis. We herein report on 2 cases of a biliary endocrine cell carcinoma. Case 1 involved a 68 year old man manifesting a fever, jaundice, hepatomegaly and a ballooned gallbladder. After decreasing the jaundice by PTCD, an exploratory abdominal operation was performed. As a tumor was found at the papilla of Vater, a pancreaticoduodenectomy was done. Case 2 involved a 72 year old woman who was diagnosed as having a gallbladder tumor and cholelithiasis. She was given a cholecystectomy and a choledocholithotomy. These 2 cases had hepatic metastasis within a year and subsequently died. Procedurally, an endocrine cell carcinoma should be treated separately from classical carcinoid tumors.