A Case of Carcinosarcoma of the Stomach : Small Cell Carcinoma with Rhabdomyosarcomatous Components

Abstract

A case of gastric carcinosarcoma composed of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation in a septuagenarian Japanese male is presented. Grossly, a huge exophytic tumor (Borrman type-1) was observed on the lesser curvature of the upper portion of the stomach. The tumor was mainly composed of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and no conventional adenocarcinomatous component was observed. It also contained a focal sarcomatous area of rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. Although there have been only two other reports describing small cell neuroendcrine carcinoma with sarcomatous components of the stomach, one of them had a conventional adenocarcinomatous component in addition to a small cell carcinoma component. This is an exceptionally rare case of gastric carcinosarcoma composed of pure small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and rhabdomyosarcomatous components.