[Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the auditory, olfactory, and visual sensory organs].

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are infrequent in sensory organs. There are well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms that should be classified as neuroendocrine tumors, in analogy to their gastrointestinal counterparts, however the nomenclature is inconsistent. The best defined entities are neuroendocrine tumors in the middle ear and ectopic pituitary adenoma in the sphenoid region. Poorly differentiated NENs most often arise in the olfactory organ and nasal cavity that are represented by olfactory neuroblastomas and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. They have several mimickers such as the sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, mucosal malignant melanoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.