A Rare Case of a Primary Cardiac Tumor Presenting as Fatal Ventricular Tachycardia

Primary cardiac tumors are extremely uncommon.Here,we report the case of a patient with a primary left ventricular interstitial tumor presenting with hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia.In response to hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia,an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was inserted.One month after defibrillator implantation,the patient developed episodes of high ventricular tachycardia that could not be effectively terminated by catheter radiofrequency ablation,thus further confirming that the ventricular tachycardia was induced by the left ventricular interstitial tumor.The patient is doing well on medical therapy to date.

Primary Cardiac Tumors Operated on in Côte d’Ivoire: They Are Almost All Myxomas

Objective: Through this surgical series, we present the epidemiological and anatomical-clinical aspects and the surgical results concerning patients operated on for a primary cardiac tumor at the Abidjan Heart Institute. Materials and Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study covering the period of January 1982 to December 2022, based on the medical records of patients operated on for a primary cardiac tumor at the Abidjan Heart Institute. Results: Twenty-seven (27) patients underwent surgery for a primary cardiac tumor, including 14 women and 13 men with a mean age of 41.5 years (range 19 - 76 years). The main circumstances of discovery were exertional dyspnea, palpitation and syncope or pseudo-syncope. The main site was the septal wall of the left atrium. The diagnosis of myxoma was confirmed by pathological examination of the surgical specimen in 96.3% (n = 24) of the patients and it was a malignant large cell immunoblastic lymphoma of the myocardium in 3.7% (n = 1) of the patients. The mean largest diameter was 46.1 mm. The postoperative course was marked by an ischaemic stroke (n = 1);recurrence of a left atrial myxoma 5 years after the first tumor removal (n = 1). Two cases of death were noted, one due to the evolution of immunoblastic large cell lymphoma and the other due to an extracorporeal circulation accident. Conclusion: Almost all primary cardiac tumors operated on in Abidjan are myxomas. The circumstances of the discovery of these cardiac tumors are multiple and varied but dominated by exertional dyspnea, palpitation and syncope. Whatever their histological type, primary cardiac tumors are serious affections, in view of the haemodynamic and rhythmic disorders they cause.

Theatment strategies for pediatric patients with primary cardiac tumors

Objective To analyze the experience of treatment strategies for pediatric patients with primary cardiac tumors. Methods The clinical data of 27 patients with primary cardiac tumors which detected by echocardiography from May 1999 to May 2009 was analyzed retrospectively. There were 20 male and 7 female patients,aged from 24 d to 12. 6 years. There were 59. 2% less than 1 year old at the time of diagnosis. A single tumor were present in 22 cases and multiple in 5 cases. Surgery was performed on 22 patients due to the varied

Conduction disorder and primary cardiac tumor: a fatal case of multiple lipomas of the right atrium

Cardiac primary tumors are uncommon with an estimated prevalence between 0.17%and 0.19%.[1,2]Cardiac lipoma are extremely rare representing only 10%?19%of primary cardiac tumors and only few are symptomatic,depending on their location within the heart.[3,4]They originate from the subendocardium(50%),subepicardium(25%)or myocardium(25%)and with different sizes and locations.[5]Few cases of sudden death due to primary cardiac tumors are reported in literature(0.0025%);in these cases,conductive and haemodinamic abnormalities have been indicated as the cause of death.

Overall approaches to cardiac tumors:Still an unsolved enigma?

Cardiac tumors are neoplasms involving heart structures at any level,meaning the myocardium,valves,and cardiac chambers.When considering cardiac masses,it is not uncommon for surgeons to be surprised when they diagnose one.The real incidence of this complex group of diseases has been explored only after cardiac diagnostic tools became more appropriate.Despite differential diagnosis being relevant,surgical indication is usually requested for all malignant cardiac tumors and also for many types of benign tumors.The development of cardiac imaging techniques,therefore,has been the key point for a better understanding of the history of cardiac tumors and especially of the relevance of surgical indication in such conditions.Systematic and combined applications of echocardiography,cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance allow in the majority of case a clear definition of the nature of a newly discovered cardiac mass.The presence of a Li-Fraumeni syndrome seems to be the trigger aspect in accelerating the propensity of developing a cardiac tumor.Despite the revolutionary usefulness of the cardiac imaging techniques available,it is still considered a hazard to diagnose a malignant cardiac mass just with radiological imaging;the mainstay of the final diagnosis stands in surgical excision of the mass and histopathological report.

Clinical analysis of multiple primary gastrointestinal malignant tumors:A 10-year case review of a single-center

BACKGROUND Multiple primary malignant tumors(MPMTs)was first described by Billroth as early as 1889,with the first report published by Warren and Gates in 1932.Since then,numerous cases have been reported.A literature review of 1104269 patients with cancer revealed that the incidence of MPMTs ranged from 0.73 to 11.7%.In recent years,however,there has been a significant upward trend in the incidence of this phenomenon,which may be associated with many different factors,including the advancement of modern diagnostic procedures facilitating the examination and diagnosis of more MPMTs,increased exposure to chemotherapy and radiotherapy that exacerbate the risk of new malignant tumors in patients with cancer,and prolonged survival of patients with cancer allowing sufficient time for the development of new primary cancers.AIM To analyze the incidence,clinical features,treatment factors,prevalence,and prognosis of patients with MPMTs in the gastrointestinal tract treated in a single center.Additionally,we analyzed the different tumor combinations,time interval between the occurrence of tumors,and staging.METHODS This retrospective cohort study analyzed 8059 patients with pathologically confirmed gastrointestinal malignant tumors treated at the Gansu Province Hospital in Lanzhou,Gansu,China between June 2011 and June 2020.Of these,85 patients had MPMTs.The clinical features,treatment factors,prevalence,and prognosis of this latter cohort were analyzed.RESULTS The incidence of MPMTs in patients with gastrointestinal malignant tumors was 1.05%(85/8059),including 83 double primary malignant tumors and two triple primary malignant tumors of which 57(67.06%)were synchronous MPMTs(SMPMTs)and 28(32.94%)were metachronous MPMTs(MMPMTs).The most frequent associations were found between the rectum colon cancers within the SMPMT category and the gastric-colon cancers within the MMPMT category.For the MMPMTs,the median interval was 53 months.The overall 1-,3-and 5-year survival rates from diagnosis of the first primary cancer were 91.36%,65.41%,and 45.97%,respectively;those from diagnosis of the second primary cancer were 67.90%,29.90%,and 17.37%,respectively.CONCLUSION MPMTs in the gastrointestinal tract have a high incidence and poor prognosis.Thus,it is necessary to perform both gastroscopy and colonoscopy in patients with gastrointestinal tumors.Multidisciplinary comprehensive diagnosis and treatment may improve the diagnosis rate and treatment efficiency of MPMTs.

Primary coexisting adenocarcinoma of the colon and neuroendocrine tumor of the duodenum: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Neuroendocrine tumors(NETs)arise from the body’s diffuse endocrine system.Coexisting primary adenocarcinoma of the colon and NETs of the duodenum(D-NETs)is a rare occurrence in clinical practice.The classification and treatment criteria for D-NETs combined with a second primary cancer have not yet been determined.CASE SUMMARY We report the details of a case involving female patient with coexisting primary adenocarcinoma of the colon and a D-NET diagnosed by imaging and surgical specimens.The tumors were treated by surgery and four courses of chemothe-rapy.The patient achieved a favorable clinical prognosis.CONCLUSION Coexisting primary adenocarcinoma of the colon and D-NET were diagnosed by imaging,laboratory indicators,and surgical specimens.Surgical resection com-bined with chemotherapy was a safe,clinically effective,and cost-effective treat-ment.

Early screening to identify and diagnose primary nasal tuberculosis in patients with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Liu et al.Based on our analysis of a case report,we consider that early screening and recognition of primary nasal tuberculosis are crucial for patients undergoing treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor(TNFi).While TNFi therapy increases the risk of reactivating latent tuberculosis,primary nasal tuberculosis remains rare due to the protective mechanisms of the nasal mucosa.Risk factors for primary nasal tuberculosis include minimally invasive nasal surgery,diabetes,and human immunodefi ciency virus.Patients with early symptoms such as nasal congestion,rhinorrhea,altered olfaction,epistaxis,or ulceration,and unresponsive to conventional antibiotics and antihistamines should undergo early rhinoscopy,possibly followed by repeated tissue biopsies and acid-fast bacilli culture when necessary.When diagnosis is challenging,it is essential to consider local tuberculosis epidemiology and the efficacy of diagnostic antituberculosis treatment.The preferred method for tuberculosis screening is the Interferon Gamma Release Assay,with a general recommendation for screening at 3 and 6 months after initial treatment and then every six months.However,the optimal frequency is not yet consensus-driven and may be increased in economically viable settings.

High incidence combination of multiple primary malignant tumors of the digestive system

BACKGROUND Clinical reports of multiple primary malignant tumors(MPMTs)in the digestive system are increasing.In China,although the survival rate of patients with MPMTs is increasing,the quality of life is very low.Many patients have reached the advanced stage when the second primary tumor is found,resulting in no early intervention and treatment.This is due to the misunderstanding of MPMTs by clinicians,who treat such tumors as metastases.Therefore,before a patient has a second primary tumor,doctors should understand some common combinations of digestive system MPMTs to provide clinical guidance to the patient.AIM To explore the high incidence combination of digestive system MPMTs under heterochronism and synchronization.METHODS A total of 1902 patients with MPMTs at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.They were divided into metachronous MPMT and synchronous MPMT groups,and then the high incidence combinations of the first primary cancer and the second primary cancer in metachronous cancer and synchronous cancer were sorted.Sex and age differences between metachronous and synchronous tumors were tested by the chi square test and t test,respectively.A P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant,and SPSS version 26.0(SPSS Inc.,Chicago,Illinois,United States)was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS Among the 1902 patients with MPMTs confirmed by pathology,1811(95.2%)cases were secondary primary cancers,89(4.7%)cases were tertiary primary cancers,and 2(0.1%)cases were quaternary primary cancers.Most(88.2%)of the secondary primary cancers were identified as metachronous multiple primary cancers six months after diagnosis of the first primary cancer.The top ten most common MPMTs in the first primary cancer group ranged from high to low as follows:Breast cancer,thyroid cancer,nonuterine cancer,lung cancer,colon cancer,kidney cancer,uterine cancer,bladder cancer,rectal cancer,and gastric cancer.The highest incidence rate of the first primary cancer in male metachronous cancer was lung cancer(11.6%),the highest incidence rate of the second primary cancer was still lung cancer(24.9%),the highest incidence rate of the first primary cancer in female metachronous cancer was breast cancer(32.7%),and the highest incidence rate of the second primary cancer was lung cancer(20.8%).Among them,breast cancer,nonuterine cancer and uterine cancer were female-specific malignant tumor types,and thyroid cancer also accounted for 79.6%of female patients.The top five metachronous cancer combinations,independent of female-specific malignant tumor types and thyroid cancer,were colon cancer and lung cancer(26 cases),kidney cancer and lung cancer(25 cases),rectal cancer and lung cancer(20 cases),gastric cancer and lung cancer(17 cases),and bladder cancer and lung cancer(17 cases).The most common synchronous cancer combination was colon cancer and rectal cancer(15 cases).CONCLUSION Screening for lung cancer should be performed six months after the detection of colon cancer while rectal cancer screening should be performed within six months.

Influence of primary tumor location and resection on survival in metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Patients with right sided colorectal cancer are known to have a poorer prognosis than patients with left sided colorectal cancer, whatever the cancer stage. To this day, primary tumor resection(PTR) is still controversial in a metastatic, non resectable setting.AIM To explore the survival impact of PTR in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC) depending on PTL.METHODS We retrospectively collected data from all consecutive patients treated for mCRC at the Centre Georges Francois Leclerc Hospital. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the influence of PTR on survival. We then evaluated the association between PTL and overall survival among patients who previously underwent or did not undergo PTR. A propensity score was performed to match cohorts.RESULTS Four hundred and sixty-six patients were included. A total of 153(32.8%) patients had unresected synchronous mCRC and 313(67.2%) patients had resected synchronous mCRC. The number of patients with right colic cancer, left colic cancer and rectal cancer was respectively 174(37.3%), 203(43.6%) and 89(19.1%). In the multivariate analysis only PTL, PTR, resection of hepatic and or pulmonary metastases and the use of oxaliplatin, EGFR inhibitors or bevacizumab throughout treatment were associated to higher overall survival rates. Survival evaluation depending on PTR and PTL found that PTR improved the prognosis of both left and right sided mCRC. Results were confirmed by using a weighted propensity score.CONCLUSION In mCRC, PTR seems to confer a higher survival rate to patients whatever the PTL.

Primary Cardiac Lymphoma: Three Case Reports and a Review of the Literature

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare entity that comprises only 1% - 2% of all cardiac tumors. Due to their scarcity and variable clinical presentation, early diagnosis is challenging. In this series, three cases of PCL from a single institution are described, which highlight the spectrum of presenting features and emphasize common principles. In the first case, a 73-year-old male who presented with dyspnea was found to have a 12.1 cm mass in the right ventricle. Biopsy via cardiac catheterization revealed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). He was treated with chemoimmunotherapy and survived for two months. The second case describes a 55-year-old female who presented with chest pain. Imaging revealed a 3.1 cm right atrial mass and bilateral pleural effusions, with cytology from the latter demonstrating DLBCL. She was lost to follow up after three cycles of chemoimmunotherapy. In the last case, an 80-year-old female presented with weakness. A 4.0 cm mass was discovered in the right atrium and the patient expired shortly after admission. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of DLBCL. These case summaries are followed by a review of the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and treatment outcomes of PCL.

Primary Malignant Renal Tumors in Infancy and Childhood: CT Appearances

Objective： To investigate the imaging manifestation of primary malignant renal tumor with CT. Methods： Forty-three cases of surgically and pathologically confirmed primary malignant renal tumor were retrospectively reviewed. Un-contrast and contrast CT was performed in all 43 patients in which 15 patients received MRI examination. Results： The residual normal renal tissue of 29 cases out of 34 cases of Wilms＇ tumor was enhanced and manifested ＂crescent sign＂ or ＂ring sign＂. Four cases of malignant rabdoid tumor （RTK） manifested as large mass with notable necrosis and subcapsular fluid collection; Two cases of clear cell sarcoma （CCS） showed metastases to the skull which could indicate the diagnosis; Renal cell carcinoma （RCC） （n=3） showed calcification in 1 case. Conclusion： CT can precisely delineate the location, size, extent of involvement, imaging characteristics and metastases of renal tumor, which can provide information necessary to the clinical staging, therapy planning and prognosis of the tumors.

Clinical Significance of Serum IL-18 and IL-18BP in Patients with Benign or Malignant Primary Liver Tumors

OBJECTIVE To study the relationship between the serumlevels of IL-18 and IL-18BP in the development and growth ofprimary liver cancer,benign liver tumors and liver cirrhosis and todetermine the value of serum IL-18 and IL-18BP in the diagnosisof primary liver cancer.METHODS The serum levels of IL-18 and IL-18BP in 36 patientswith primary hepatic carcinoma(PHC)were detected.Eighteenpatients were diagnosed with various benign liver tumors and 21patients with cirrhosis of liver(LC),determined by using an ELISAassay.The serum levels of AFP in 36 patients with primary livercancer were examined.The relationship among levels of serumIL-18,IL-18BP and AFP in the primary liver cancer was explored.RESULTS The sIL-18 levels in PHC were significantly lower thanin control group,the benign liver tumor group and the LC group.The sIL-18BP in PHC was significantly higher than that in controlgroup,benign liver tumor group and LC group(P<0.001).Therewas a close correlation between the levels of IL-18,IL-18BP andclinical stage in PHC:the later clinical stages had lower levels ofIL-18 and higher levels of IL-18BP while the earlier clinical stageshad higher levels of IL-18 and lower levels of IL-18BP.There was anegative correlation between serum levels of IL-18 and AFP in thePHC group(r = -0.7152,n=36,P<0.01),and there was a positivecorrelation between serum levels of IL-18 BP and AFP in thepatients with PHC(r=0.6315,n=36,P<0.01).The IL-18 and IL-18BP in the patients with various benign liver tumors or LC weresignificantly higher than those in control group.The differenceswere statistically significant(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Serum levels of IL-18 and IL-18BP can reflectthe immune function of patients with primary liver cancer,withvarious benign liver tumors or with LC and can also be indicativeof the clinic stage of primary liver cancer.It can be used to assistin making a diagnosis and in determining the clinical stage ofPHC.Detecting AFP concurrently can help make the diagnosis ofprimary liver cancer more precise.

Combination of serum tumor markers dickkopf-1,DCP and AFP for the diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective:To evaluate the detection accuracy of the biomarkers dickkopf-1,DCP and AFP as a serum biomarker panel by comparing the sensitivity of the panel with those of the individual biomarkers.Methods:The study was composed of three groups,one with HCC patients,one with non-HCC liver diseases and one with healthy controls.Serum AFP was measured using a chemiluminescence assay and serum dickkopf-1 and DCP were measured with ELISA.The sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers were analyzed as single parameters and as a serum panel.Results:The HCC group showed higher levels of dickkopf-1,DCP and AFP than the other two groups(P<0.05).Dickkopf-1 showed better sensitivity(73.26%vx.58.13%.P<0.05) and better specificity(44.00%vs.29.00%,P>0.05) than AFP.DCP also had better sensitivity(74.42%vs.58.13%.P<0.05) than AFP,but their specificity was similar(30.00%vs.29.00%.P>0.05).The combination of the biomarkers as a scrum panel produced much better sensitivity(93.02%) and specificity(78.00%) than each of the markers individually(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combination of AFP.DCP and dickkopf-1 as a biomarker panel can significantly improve the detection power with much higher sensitivity and specificity for HCC than any of the biomarkers alone.The tests are convenient and inexpensive,and may serve as a valuable addition to current options for the diagnosis of HCC.

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor case with a preoperative course of 26 years: A case report and literature review

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor(PHNET) is an extremely rare liver tumor. Patients often have no clinical symptoms or have only non-specific symptoms, such as abdominal pain and abdominal mass. The clinical manifestations, disease development, treatment methods, and treatment outcomes of PHNET vary greatly among cases. Here we report a case of PHNET with a confirmed 26-year survival before surgery. The patient was a 56-year-old female. A large right hepatic mass was detected when the patient was 30 years old. The tumor could not be removed during exploratory laparotomy, and constriction of the right hepatic artery and biopsy were conducted. Pathological results indicated a diagnosis of benign tumor, but a confirmed diagnosis was not reached. Twenty-six years after the patient had been living with the tumor, she sought treatment again because of tumor progression. After systematic evaluation of the resectability, the tumor was resected. Based on the examination results of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs, intraoperative examination results, pathological findings, and long-term follow-up results, the diagnosis of PHNET was confirmed. This case represents the longest reported survival time for a PHNET patient before removal of the tumor.

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor: A case report and literature review

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors(PHNETs) are extremely rare and difficult to distinguish from other liver tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma, based on medical imaging findings. A 70-year-old man was referred for evaluation of liver mass incidentally discovered on abdominal computed tomography. The characteristic finding from dynamic liver magnetic resonance imaging led to a diagnosis of HCC. The patient underwent right hepatectomy. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination revealed grade 2 neuroendocrine tumor. The postoperative 24-h urinary excretion of 5-hydroxy-indolacetic acid was within the normal range. Further imaging investigations were performed. No other lesions were found making probable the diagnosis of PHNET. This case shows that the diagnosis of PHNET is a medical challenge, requiring differentiation of PHNETs other hepatic masses and exclusion of occult primary neuroendocrine tumors. The diagnosis of PHNET can be ascertained after long term follow-up to exclude another primary origin.

DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF WHOLE BODY DIFFUSION WEIGHTED IMAGING FOR SCREENING PRIMARY TUMORS OF PATIENTS WITH METASTASES

Objective To evaluate the values of whole body diffusion weighted imaging （DWI） in screenmg pnmary unknown tumor in patients with metastases. Methods Totally, 34 patients with metastases of primary unknown tumors were scanned with whole body DWI, and conventional magnetic resonance （MR） imaging was performed if suspected lesions were detected. All the metastases including 27 cases of osseous metastases, 2 brain metastases, 2 liver metastases, 1 pulmonary multiple metastasis, 1 neck metastasis and 1 malignant ascites, were diagnosed by computed tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, or MR imaging. For the proven primary tumors diagnosed by biopsy or pathology of surgical specimens, apparent diffusion coefficient （ADC） values of the primary and metastatic lesions were measured respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of this technique for screening primary tumors were cvaluated. Results We found 24 cases with suspected primary lesions, in which 23 lesions were proved to be primary tumors, and 1 was proved to be benign lesion. And no definite primary lesion was found in 10 cases on whole body DWI, but in which 1 case was diagnosed with primary tumor by biopsy later, and the other 9 cases remained unknown within follow-up of over halfa year. The difference was not significant in ADC values between primary and metastatic lesions （P〉0.05）. The sensitivity and specificity of whole body DWI for searching primary tumors was 95.8% and 90.0%, respectively. Conclusion Combined with conventional MR scanning, whole body DWI can help to search primary lesions of patients with metastases.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors after comprehensive therapy

BACKGROUND Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors(PHNETs),a group of neuroendocrine neoplasms,are extremely rare.There are only few case reports about PHNETs in the literature.The lack of large samples and multicenter research results in poor diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.AIM To discuss the clinical characteristics,diagnosis,and treatment of PHNETs and risk factors related to survival.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data,imaging features,immunohistochemistry data,and treatment efficacy of 40 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PHNETs and admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1,2014 to November 15,2019.Finally,survival analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for survival.RESULTS The main symptoms and signs included intermittent abdominal pain(19 patients,47.5%)and bloating(8 patients,20.0%).The positive rates of tested tumor markers were recorded as follows:Carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)(6 patients,15.0%),CA72-4(3 patients,7.5%),carcinoembryonic antigen(7 patients,17.5%),and alpha-fetoprotein(6 patients,15.0%).Immunohistochemical staining results showed positivity for Syn in 38(97.4%)of 39 patients,for chromogranin A in 17(65.4%)of 26 patients,for CD56 in 35(94.6%)of 37 patients,for AE1/AE3 in 28(87.5%)of 32 patients,and for Ki-67 in all 40(100.0%)patients.The overall survival rate was significantly related to the tumor grade,AE1/AE3,and Ki-67.tumor number,tumor size,metastasis,and treatment)and overall survival.CONCLUSION Higher grade,negative AE1/AE3,and higher Ki-67 are associated with a worse survival rate.Kinds of treatment and other parameters have no significant influence on overall survival.

Neuroendocrine liver metastases: Contributions of endoscopy and surgery to primary tumor search

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are diagnosed with increasing frequency and patients often present with liver metastases at the time of diagnosis. Apart from treatment of the metastases, resection of the primary tumor at an early phase is recommended to prevent complications, although it may be difficult to locate, especially in patients with functionally inactive NETs. Small and multifocal tumors in the jejunum and ileum represent a particular challenge. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma is extremely rare and is diagnosed only after exclusion of other primary tumors. Therefore, some uncertainty may remain, as small non-hepatic primary tumors may escape detection. Diagnostic work-up in these patients includes biochemical assays and imaging modalities (also comprising specific techniques of scintigraphy and positron emission tomography). This editorial highlights the contributions of endoscopy and operative exploration to the search for the primary tumor. Besides esophagogastro-duodenoscopy, endoscopic ultrasonography, colonoscopy and bronchoscopy, special endoscopic techniques such as balloon enteroscopy or capsule endoscopy are used with growing experience. Compared with balloon enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy is noninvasive and better tolerated, but it cannot localize a lesion precisely and does not allow biopsy or removal of lesions. Before proceeding to surgery, a discussion of the findings by a tumor board should be a standard procedure. Improvements in diagnostic tools have created new perspectives for the detection of obscure primary tumors in patients with neuroendocrine liver metastases, and these searches are best coordinated by a multidisciplinary team.