A Case of Ovarian Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the ovary is a rare entity and is frequently associated with ovarian surface epithelial tumors. Since Collins et al. described the fi rst case of mixed neuroendocrine and mucinous carcinoma, a few more cases of primary ovarian LCNECs have been reported. The prognosis of LCNECs is generally very poor even when the diagnosis is made at an early stage. A 40-year-old woman presented with a pelvic mass measuring 30 cm in diameter. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy for resection of the pelvic mass and staging if needed. After the operation, she was diagnosed of stage Ia LCNEC associated with mucinous tumor (including benign, borderline, malignant tumor) of left ovary. The patient received six cycles of paclitaxel-carboplatin chemotherapy postoperatively. There have been no signs of local tumor recurrence or metastasis at followup examinations during the fi rst 8 months after the operation.