Primary Biliary Mixed Adenoneuroendocrine Carcinoma (MANEC): A Short Review

Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs) are composite neoplasms with areas of adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma intermingled with neuroendocrine carcinoma or neuroendocrine tumor, each composing at least 30% of the neoplasm. MANECs are very infrequent overall, and they are more commonly diagnosed in the appendix, colon, and stomach. Biliary MANECs are particularly rare, and their histogenesis is debated because neuroendocrine cells are seldom identified in the normal biliary tract. They can show one of the 3 different architectural patterns described in Lewin's original classification: collision tumors, combined lesions, or amphicrine neoplasms. The neuroendocrine component is usually of a high grade, with small or large cell cytomorphology, whereas the adenocarcinoma component is either an intestinal or biliary type. Clinical presentation is characterized by locally advanced disease at the time of initial diagnosis. Recent studies suggest that treatment should be guided by the most aggressive histologic component.