Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are a group of extremely rare tumors that are difficult to differentiate from common hepatic malignancies on routine imaging studies. By presenting a case of PHNET, we herein introduce our experience with the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of patients with this rare disease. The patient was preoperatively diagnosed with hepatic hydatidosis but postoperatively diagnosed with a PHNET with multiple liver metastases. He was successfully treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. This case indicates that the clinical diagnosis of PHNET is a medical challenge. Although peptide receptor radionuclide therapy has been suggested as the mainstay of treatment for well-differentiated somatostatin receptor-positive PHNETs, patients with a large tumor burden may also benefit from transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.
Keywords: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor; hepatic hydatidosis; immunohistochemistry; liver metastasis; neuroendocrine tumor; transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.