Investigation of Clinical, Laboratory, Imaging Findings and Histopathological Features of Patients with Gastric Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia is a non-neoplastic proliferation of enterochromaffin-like cells and is considered a premalignant lesion because of their potential to progress to neuroendocrine tumor. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical features, laboratory, radiological and endoscopic findings, gastric biopsy histopathological features, follow-up frequency, and histopathological findings of patients diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia as well as to investigate the factors that play a role in the development of neuroendocrine tumors on the basis of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study has been conducted in 2 centers with 282 patients that were grouped as those with and without neuroendocrine tumor. Individuals with control endoscopy were separated as those with regression of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and those without regression, and the determined parameters were evaluated between the groups. RESULTS: The most common histological subtype of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia was linear+micronodular (50.4%). Neuroendocrine tumor developed in 4.3% (12/282) of the patients with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia after a mean of 36 months. The presence of polyps as confirmed via endoscopy and dysplasia as confirmed via histopathological examination was significantly higher in favor of the group with neuroendocrine tumor (P = .01). In patients with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia regressed and patients in whom it did not regress were examined, the rate of asymptomatic patients and increased sedimentation rate were found in favor of the group that did not regress (P = .02 and P = .02), but no difference was found in other parameters. CONCLUSION: Neuroendocrine tumor development rate was found to be 4.3% in the background of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. Two factors predicting progression from neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia to neuroendocrine tumor can be elaborated as the presence of polypoid appearance due to neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia as confirmed via endoscopy and dysplasia as confirmed via histopathological examination.

Radiological-pathological correlation in diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH): imaging and histopathology.

AIM: To review histologically confirmed diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) cases and carry out a detailed pathological-radiological correlation to see if computed tomography (CT) can be used to confidently identify DIPNECH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three histologically confirmed DIPNECH patients in the shared database of two NHS Trusts were reviewed. CT images were reviewed by two independent radiologists, each of them with >10 years of experience in thoracic imaging. All histological specimens were reviewed by a single pathologist with >25 years of experience. The diagnosis of DIPNECH was made according to the current World Health Organization (WHO) definition included in the WHO 2015 classification of pulmonary tumours. The results on histology were compared to the presence of nodules and air trapping on CT. Demographic information and, when available, molecular imaging studies and pulmonary function tests were also considered. RESULTS: There are prototypal clinical and radiological findings reflecting the presence of underlying histological DIPNECH: middle-aged women with multiple small and scattered nodules due to the clustering and proliferation of neuroendocrine cells. At least one larger, dominant, lung nodule reflecting a carcinoid tumour is very common and mosaic attenuation/air trapping is seen approximately in 50% of cases in inspiratory scans. Airflow obstruction is rarely associated with histological bronchial or peribronchial fibrosis, which suggests other mechanisms must be involved in its development. CONCLUSION: CT can be used to predict pathological DIPNECH in the appropriate clinical setting. It is important to consider DIPNECH to avoid overdiagnosis of more sinister conditions such as lung cancer or metastases.

DIPNECH: pragmatic approach, uncertainties, notable associations, and a proposal for an improved definition.

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is a rare, but increasingly recognized entity that primarily affects middle-aged and elderly women. It is characterized by abnormal proliferation of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) and is considered a preinvasive lesion for carcinoid tumorlets/tumors. Sometimes, DIPNECH is accompanied by constrictive bronchiolitis which usually manifests as chronic cough and/or dyspnea, along with airflow limitation on spirometry. The telltale imaging sign of DIPNECH is the presence of multiple noncalcified pulmonary nodules and mosaic attenuation on CT. However, these clinico-radiologic features of DIPNECH are characteristic but nonspecific; thus, histopathologic confirmation is usually necessary. DIPNECH has an indolent course and only rarely leads to respiratory failure or death; progression to overt neuroendocrine tumor (carcinoid) of the lung occurs in a minority of patients. Of available therapies, somatostatin analogs and mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors are the most promising. In this review, we provide an update regarding the diagnosis and management of DIPNECH and describe critical gaps in our understanding of this entity, including the central terms 'diffuse' and 'idiopathic.' We also summarize the inconsistencies in definitions employed by recent studies and discuss the pitfalls of the DIPNECH definitions proposed by the World Health Organization in 2021. In this context, we propose an objective and reproducible radio-pathologic case definition intended for implementation in the research realm and seeks to enhance homogeneity across cohorts. Furthermore, we discuss aspects of PNECs biology which suggest that PNEC hyperplasia may contribute to the pathogenesis of phenotypes of lung disease aside from constrictive bronchiolitis and carcinoid tumorlets/tumors. Finally, we steer attention to some of the most pressing and impactful research questions awaiting to be unraveled.

Neuroendocrine hyperplasia of infancy; a rare form of childhood interstitial lung disease: a case report.

Interstitial lung disease in infancy is rare. In this case report, we discuss the case of a six-week-old male infant who presented with persistent tachypnoea, retraction and mild hypoxaemia corrected by low-dose supplemental oxygen since the age of 2 weeks. Birth history was unremarkable. Routine workup was done which turned out to be non-contributory. The child received multiple rounds of antibiotics along with bronchodilators and corticosteroids. There was no evidence of severe gastroesophageal reflux. Computed tomography of chest showed ground glass appearance, which was especially prominent in the right middle lobe and lingula ,and accompanied with air trapping. He was managed with mild respiratory supportive care, without positive pressure ventilation and nutritional management. He was discharged home, with instructions for in clinic follow up. A distinctive topographical picture and typical clinical symptoms were consistent with neuroendocrine hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI), which has a favourable prognosis. A high index of suspicion may enable a timely diagnosis. Adequate long-term respiratory and nutritional management without lung biopsy improves the outcome.

Somatostatin receptor 2 in 10 different types of human non-neoplastic gastrointestinal neuroendocrine cells.

Somatostatin is known to inhibit the secretion of various hormones by acting on endocrine cells through the somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2). Immunohistochemical evaluation of SSTR2 has become increasingly important in clinical practice to determine treatment strategies for patients with a neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Gastrointestinal (GI) tracts contain various neuroendocrine cells that constitute a diffuse endocrine system and some NETs are derived from those cells. In addition, NETs have been well known to express a variable spectrum of proteins shared by their normal cell counterparts of the specific anatomical sites. Thus, we may derive the kinetics of SSTR2 expression of NETs, including de novo expression, from the SSTR2 expression of the corresponding normal neuroendocrine cells. Therefore, a detailed study on the distribution of SSTR2 in normal human neuroendocrine cells may contribute to understanding the expression of SSTR2 in GI-NETs. However, the detailed cellular localization of SSTR2 in non-neoplastic neuroendocrine cells remains unknown. Therefore, we immunolocalized SSTR2 in neuroendocrine cells of normal human GI tracts, including the stomach, duodenum, ileum, and rectum, obtained from 41 surgically resected tissue specimens. Double immunohistochemistry of SSTR2 and hormones or hormone-associated proteins was performed. In all GI neuroendocrine cells, cell types other than D- and EC-cells demonstrated a high percentage of SSTR2-positive cases or a high double-positive ratio. In particular, EC-cells showed lower SSTR2-positive ratios in all sites. Midgut NETs, which often produce serotonin, are excellent targets for somatostatin analogs and are positive for SSTR2. Thus, we speculated that EC-cell NETs might lead to the de novo expression of SSTR2. In addition, a previous report showed high SSTR2 expression in ECL-cell NETs and gastrinomas, which could be because they are derived from neuroendocrine cells with high SSTR2 expression. This study may contribute to understanding the expression of SSTR2 in GI-NETs.

Oncofetal protein glypican-3 is a biomarker and critical regulator of function for neuroendocrine cells in prostate cancer.

Neuroendocrine (NE) cells comprise ~1% of epithelial cells in benign prostate and prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa). However, they become enriched in hormonally treated and castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). In addition, close to 20% of hormonally treated tumors recur as small cell NE carcinoma (SCNC), composed entirely of NE cells, which may be the result of clonal expansion or lineage plasticity. Since NE cells do not express androgen receptors (ARs), they are resistant to hormonal therapy and contribute to therapy failure. Here, we describe the identification of glypican-3 (GPC3) as an oncofetal cell surface protein specific to NE cells in prostate cancer. Functional studies revealed that GPC3 is critical to the viability of NE tumor cells and tumors displaying NE differentiation and that it regulates calcium homeostasis and signaling. Since our results demonstrate that GPC3 is specifically expressed by NE cells, patients with confirmed SCNC may qualify for GPC3-targeted therapy which has been developed in the context of liver cancer and displays minimal toxicity due to its tumor-specific expression. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Complex Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Spectrum of Neuroendocrine Tumors-An Overview of the Latest Classifications.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) originate from the neuroendocrine cell system, which may either take the shape of organoid cell aggregations or be composed of dispersed cells across various organs. Therefore, these tumors are heterogenous regarding the site of origin, functional status, degree of aggressiveness, and prognosis. When treating patients with neuroendocrine tumors, one of the most significant challenges for physicians is determining the correct tumor grade and thus classifying patients into risk categories. Over the years, the classification of these tumors has changed significantly, often causing confusion due to clinical, molecular, and immunohistochemical variability. This review aims to outline the latest NENs classifications regardless of their site of origin. Thus, an overview of the key histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of NENs could pave the way to validate possible predictive and prognostic markers and also guide the therapeutic conduct.

Long-term evolution of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy: the FRENCHI findings.

Only few studies report long-term evolution of patients with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI). We report data from a 54-patient cohort followed up in the French network for rare respiratory diseases (RespiRare). Demographic characteristics and respiratory and nutritional evolution were collected at the time of the patient's last scheduled visit. The mean duration of follow-up was 68 months (5 months to 18 years). Fifteen patients (27.8%) were considered clinically cured. During follow-up, hospitalizations for wheezy exacerbations were reported in 35 patients (55%), and asthma diagnosed in 20 (37%). Chest CT scan improvement was noted in 25/44 (56.8%). Spirometry showed a persistent obstructive syndrome in 8/27 (29.6%). A sleep disorder was rare (2/36, 5.5%). Oxygen weaning occurred in 28 of the 45 patients initially treated (62.2%) and was age-dependent (35.7% under 2 years, 70.5% between 2 and 6 years, and 100% after 7 years). Oxygen duration was linked to a biopsy-proven diagnosis (p = 0.02) and to the use of a nutritional support (p = 0.003). Corticosteroids were largely prescribed at diagnosis, with no evident respiratory or nutritional effect during follow-up. Among 23 patients with an initial failure to thrive, 12 (52.2%) had no weight recovery. Initial enteral feeding (17/54, 31.5%) was stopped at a mean age of 43 months (3 to 120), with no effect on cure and oxygen liberation at the last visit.  Conclusion: Our results show that NEHI has a globally positive, but unequal, improvement over time. Further prospective studies are needed to better clarify the different trajectories of patients with NEHI. What is Known: • Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is an interstitial lung disease whose long-term outcome is considered positive from very few studies including heterogeneous populations. What is New: • The 68-month follow-up of our 54-patient cohort showed respiratory/nutritional symptom persistence in 72.2%, oxygen requiring in 34%, and asthma in 37%. When controlled, radiological or functional improvement was noted in 56.8 and 40.7%. Further prospective studies are needed to better clarify the different trajectories of patients with NEHI.

Taquipnea persistente como manifestación inicial de hiperplasia de células neuroendocrinas: reporte de un caso clínico / Persistent tachypnea as initial manifestation of hyperplasia of neuroendocrine cells: case report

Se realiza revisión de la literatura y presentación de un caso clínico de Hiperplasia de Células Neuroendocrinas en paciente lactante masculino que inicia su padecimiento a los 3 meses de vida con dificultad respiratoria caracterizada por retracciones subcostales y taquipnea persistente, posterior-mente a los 8 meses de edad se agrega hipoxemia respirando aire ambiente que requiere uso de oxígeno suplementario continuo. Tiene antecedente de tres hospitalizaciones, con diagnóstico de Bronquiolitis y Neumonía atípica, realizándose panel viral respiratorio con reporte negativo. El paciente persiste con sintomatología respiratoria a pesar de tratamientos médicos, por lo que se deriva a neumología pediátrica, unidad de enfermedad pulmonar intersticial del lactante, iniciando protocolo de estudio, se realiza tomografía tórax de alta resolución, que evidencia imágenes en vidrio despulido en lóbulo medio y región lingular, además de atrapamiento aéreo. Se concluye el diagnóstico de Hiperplasia de Células neuroendocrinas con base a la clínica y hallazgos tomográficos. La Hiperplasia de Células Neuroendocrinas es una patología pulmonar intersticial poco frecuente, cuyo diagnóstico es clínico y radiológico, en la minoría de los casos se requiere biopsia pulmonar para confirmación. Puede ser fácilmente confundida con otras enfermedades respiratorias comunes, por lo que es importante sospecharla para realizar un diagnóstico precoz. La mayor parte de los casos evolucionan con declinación de los síntomas, mejorando espontáneamente en los primeros años de vida.

A review of the literature and presentation of a clinical case of Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia in a male infant patient who begins his condition at 3 months of age with respiratory distress characterized by subcostal retractions and persistent tachypnea is presented. After 8 months of age hypoxemia is added requiring continuous oxygen therapy. He has a history of three hospitalizations, with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis and atypical pneumonia, respiratory viral panel has a negative report. The patient persists with respiratory symptoms despite medical treatments, so it is referred to pediatric pulmonology, initiating study protocol for interstitial lung disease of the infant. A high resolution chest tomography is performed, which evidences images in polished glass in the middle lobe and lingular region, in addition to air entrapment. The diagnosis of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia is concluded based on clinical and tomographic findings. Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia is a rare interstitial pulmonary pathology, whose diagnosis is clinical and radiological. Lung biopsy is required only in the minority of cases for confirming diagnosis. It can be easily confused with other common respiratory diseases, so it is important to suspect it to make an early diagnosis. Most cases evolve with decline in symptoms, improving spontaneously in the first years of life.

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH): a little known cause of thoracic lesions.

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is a rare but important condition to consider when investigating a patient with suspected thoracic malignancy. There is very little known about DIPNECH and it is considered to be a precursor to carcinoid tumour of the lung. This case report aims to increase awareness of this largely unknown and rare condition and to better improve its consideration as a differential diagnosis in patients who remain unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Early gastric mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms with endoscopic findings of neuroendocrine cell carcinoma components exposed on the mucosal surface: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastric mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms are rare malignant tumors. The lack of specific findings makes it difficult to diagnose endoscopically. We report the case of early gastric mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection. CASE PRESENTATION: An 81-year-old Japanese female underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy for screening and was treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer. Histopathologically, the lesion was diagnosed as mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (tubular adenocarcinoma 2 60%, endocrine cell carcinoma 40%), pT1b(submucosa (SM) 900 µm), pUL(-), Ly(+), v(-), pHM0, pVM0. After additional surgical resection without adjuvant chemotherapy, she has had no recurrences or metastases for 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing narrow-band imaging magnified endoscopic findings with pathological findings, the depressed area with a lack of surface structure was consistent with the neuroendocrine cell carcinoma component, while narrow-band imaging magnification findings showed non-network vessels. In this case, we examined endoscopic findings of early stage mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms in detail and compared it with the pathological findings. We believe that these endoscopic findings contribute to the diagnosis of mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms and can lead to its early detection.

Lung adenocarcinoma coexisting with diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia manifesting as multiple pulmonary nodules: A case report.

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH), a rare condition, is characterized by pathological proliferation of neuroendocrine cells. Some of them are localized to the airway mucosa, and others locally infiltrate to form tumorlets and nodules. Here, we present a patient with lung adenocarcinoma accompanied by DIPNECH, making the latter difficult to distinguish from multiple pulmonary metastases. The patient, a 72-year-old Japanese woman, was diagnosed as having stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma because she had multiple nodules in both lungs. Mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor gene having been found in the primary tumor, treatment with osimertinib was started. This resulted in shrinkage of the primary tumor, but not the multiple pulmonary nodules. To determine whether these lung nodules were indeed lung metastases, we performed right upper lobectomy with lymphadenectomy and wedge resection of the right lower lobe. On pathological examination, the primary tumor was diagnosed as invasive adenocarcinoma, whereas the multiple pulmonary nodules were diagnosed as DIPNECH manifesting as tumorlets. Therefore, the final diagnosis was stage IA1 lung adenocarcinoma accompanied by DINPECH. The patient had no recurrences 1 year after the operation without any additional treatment. This is a rare case of lung adenocarcinoma accompanied by DIPNECH presenting as multiple pulmonary nodules. DIPNECH should be included in the differential diagnosis of multiple pulmonary nodules.

Sclerosing pneumocytoma with carcinoid tumorlets and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia.

Sclerosing pneumocytoma is an uncommon pulmonary tumor which generally behaves benignly and occurs predominately in women. Rarely, it is associated with neuroendocrine proliferations such as hyperplasia, tumorlets and carcinoid tumors, which may be observed in relation to the tumor or in the distant lung parenchyma; the mechanism underlying this neuroendocrine differentiation is not clear. We present a case of a 33 year-old male with sclerosing pnemocytoma with coexistent neuroendocrine hyperplasia and combined carcinoid tumorlets. Taking into account the pluripotentiality of the round cells present in the sclerosing pneumocytoma, with positive staining for stem cells markers, it is possible that the different components of this neoplasia share a common origin, in accordance with previously reported findings.

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a novel immunohistochemical marker of neuroendocrine differentiation.

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is originally described as an epididymis specific protein and now clinically used as a serum marker for ovarian carcinoma. However, the expression of HE4 in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has not been studied. By immunohistochemistry, the expressions of HE4 in 94 normal tissues and 484 NENs which included 242 well-differentiated NENs and 242 poorly differentiated NENs were studied. HE4 was positive in 90/94 (95.7%) of the neuroendocrine cells in normal tissues, 228/242 (94.2%) of well-differentiated NENs, and 206/242 (85.1%) of poorly differentiated NENs, and the expression of HE4 decreased progressively with loss of histological differentiation, with the positive rate of 96.2%, 92.7%, 92.3%, 85.4%, and 84.4% in NET-G1/carcinoid, NET-G2/atypical carcinoid, NET-G3, NEC-LC, and NEC-SC respectively. In NET-G1 and NET-G2, HE4 staining showed a peculiar polarized distribution, with an extraordinarily strong granular staining in subnuclear cytoplasm. A diffuse and uniform cytoplastic HE4 staining was observed in NET-G3 and poorly differentiated NENs. The positive rate of HE4 in primary tumors (91.1%, 387/425) was significantly higher than that of metastases (79.7%, 47/59) (p < 0.05). In a series of 70 pure non-NENs poorly differentiated carcinomas, the specificity rate of HE4 was 92.9% (65/70), which was in line with that of Syn. The negative rate of HE4 was 87.0% (40/46) in the non-neuroendocrine components of the MiNEN cases, which was lower than that of the pure non-neuroendocrine carcinomas (92.9%, 65/70) but without statistical significance (p > 0.05). HE4 may prove to be a useful immunohistochemical marker of neuroendocrine differentiation, although comparative studies and a more extensive analysis of other tissue types are necessary.

GFAP-directed Inactivation of Men1 Exploits Glial Cell Plasticity in Favor of Neuroendocrine Reprogramming.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Efforts to characterize the signaling mechanisms that underlie gastroenteropancreatic neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are precluded by a lack of comprehensive models that recapitulate pathogenesis. Investigation into a potential cell-of-origin for gastrin-secreting NENs revealed a non-cell autonomous role for loss of menin in neuroendocrine cell specification, resulting in an induction of gastrin in enteric glia. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that cell autonomous Men1 inactivation in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-expressing cells induced neuroendocrine differentiation and tumorigenesis. METHODS: Transgenic GFAPΔMen1 mice were generated by conditional GFAP-directed Men1 deletion in GFAP-expressing cells. Cre specificity was confirmed using a tdTomato reporter. GFAPΔMen1 mice were evaluated for GEP-NEN development and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. Small interfering RNA-mediated Men1 silencing in a rat enteric glial cell line was performed in parallel. RESULTS: GFAPΔMen1 mice developed pancreatic NENs, in addition to pituitary prolactinomas that phenocopied the human MEN1 syndrome. GFAPΔMen1 mice exhibited gastric neuroendocrine hyperplasia that coincided with a significant loss of GFAP expression. Men1 deletion induced loss of glial-restricted progenitor lineage markers and an increase in neuroendocrine genes, suggesting a reprogramming of GFAP+ cells. Deleting Kif3a, a mediator of Hedgehog signaling, in GFAP-expressing cells attenuated neuroendocrine hyperplasia by restricting the neuroendocrine cell fate. Similar results in the pancreas were observed when Sox10 was used to delete Men1. CONCLUSIONS: GFAP-directed Men1 inactivation exploits glial cell plasticity in favor of neuroendocrine differentiation.

French national cohort of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (FRENCHI) study: diagnosis and initial management.

Early diagnosis of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is crucial as, conversely to the other causes of intersititial lung disease, corticosteroids are not recommended. Diagnosis is historically based on lung biopsy (NEHI), but in current practice, a clinical and radiological approach is more and more preferred (NEHI syndrome). This national study aimed to address diagnosis and initial management of patients followed up for a NEHI pattern in pediatric centers for rare lung diseases (RespiRare, France). Data on neonatal and familial events, symptoms at diagnosis, explorations performed and results, and therapeutic management were collected by questionnaire. Fifty-four children were included (boys 63%). The mean onset of symptoms was 3.8 ± 2.6 months. The most frequent symptoms at diagnosis were tachypnea (100%), retraction (79.6%), crackles (66.7%), and hypoxemia (59.3%). The mean NEHI clinical score, evocative when ≥ 7/10, was 7.9 ± 1.4 (76% with a score ≥ 7). All chest CT-scans showed ground glass opacities evolving at least the middle lobe and the lingula. Lung biopsy was performed in 38.9% of the cases and was typical of NEHI in only 52.4%, even when the clinical presentation was typical. Initial treatments were oxygen (83.6%) and more curiously intravenous pulses of steroids (83.3%) and azithromycin (70.2%). CONCLUSION: This national cohort of patients underlines diagnosis difficulties of NEHI. A composite clinical and radiological score should help clinicians for limiting the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. WHAT IS KNOWN: •Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is an interstitial lung disease whose diagnosis is essential to limit corticosteroids therapy. WHAT IS NEW: •In this national cohort of 54 patients with a NEHI pattern, diagnosis is mainly based on clinical symptoms and chest CT-scan results. The newly proposed clinical score and, when performed, the lung biopsies are faulted in 25 and 50% of the cases, respectively. •Corticosteroids are widely used. Such results plead for a new composite score to formally diagnose NEHI.

Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy: Feasibility of objective evaluation with quantitative CT.

OBJECTIVE: To describe quantitative CT parameters of children with a typical pattern for NEHI and compare them to controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients (7 boys) with NEHI and an available chest CT concordant NEHI were identified. Eleven age-, sex-, height-matched, with CT technique-matching were identified for comparison. An open-source software was used to segment the lung parenchyma into lobes using the fissures. Quantitative parameters such as low attenuation areas, mean lung density, kurtosis, skewness, ventilation heterogeneity, lung mass, and volume were calculated for both controls and cases. RESULTS: Analysis of the lung parenchyma showed that patients with NEHI had a lower mean lung density (-615 HU vs -556 HU, p = 0.03) with higher ventilation heterogeneity (0.23 vs 0.19, p = 0.04), lung mass (232 g vs 146 g, p = 0.01) and volume (595 mL vs 339 mL, p = 0.008) compared to controls. Most lobes followed this trend, except the middle lobe that showed only a higher lung mass (32.9 g vs 19.6 g, p = 0.02) and volume (77.4 vs 46.9, p = 0.005) in patients with NEHI compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Quantitative CT is a feasible technique in children with a typical pattern for NEHI and is associated with differences in attenuation, ventilation heterogeneity, and lung volume.