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Case Reports
. 2024 Jan 31:13:1279766.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1279766. eCollection 2023.

Primary gastrinoma of the gallbladder: a case report and review of the literature

Yao-Ge Liu  1 , Shi-Tao Jiang  1 , Yang Zhou  2 , Jun-Wei Zhang  1 , Xin-Ting Sang  1 , Lei Zhang  1 , Xin Lu  1 , Yi-Yao Xu  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Primary gastrinoma of the gallbladder: a case report and review of the literature

Yao-Ge Liu et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Primary gallbladder gastrinoma is an exceptionally uncommon tumor and is a rare form of neuroendocrine neoplasm. Until now, no cases of primary gallbladder gastrinoma and rare cases of primary gastrinoma from the biliary system have been reported.

Case presentation: We report a case of a 50-year-old woman with watery diarrhea who intermittently received proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as treatment. A serum gastrin level of 711 pg/ml was recorded after the withdrawal of PPI over 1 week. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging and octreotide imaging uncovered a solitary tumor at the hepatic hilar region. During the laparoscopic surgery, it was determined that the tumor had its origin in the wall of the gallbladder neck, prompting the implementation of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Histological analysis revealed a primary neuroendocrine tumor from the neck of the gallbladder. The patient's symptoms disappeared after the surgery with a follow-up of 6 months.

Conclusions: This case confirmed that primary gallbladder gastrinoma represents a distinct nosological entity. Immunohistochemical analysis plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic process. Given the limited understanding of primary gallbladder gastrinoma, our objective is to offer novel insights into this rare disease by delivering distinctive information and highlighting the therapeutic significance of surgical intervention.

Keywords: Zollinger-Ellison syndrome; case report; gallbladder; gastrinoma; neuroendocrine neoplasm.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Cross-sectional image of the contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a 1.6-cm nodule (yellow solid line) adjacent to the gallbladder with significant enhancement during the arterial phase. (B) The nodule showed continuous enhancement in the portal phase.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Gross photograph of the tumor (yellow arrow) and gallbladder. (B) The tumor together with a portion of the gallbladder has been sectioned, revealing a close relationship between the tumor and the gallbladder. The tumor is located in the neck of the gallbladder and near the opening of the cystic duct.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A, B) The tumor is located in the muscular layer of the gallbladder. (C) Immunohistochemical staining for gastrin shows strong and diffuse positive in tumor cells (magnification, ×200). (D) NET with a low Ki-67 proliferation index (magnification, ×100). NET, neuroendocrine tumor.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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