Karol Kajo, Katarína Macháleková, Lukáš Plank
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplastic diseases derived mainly from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system of the gastroenteropancreatic axis. Because of their infrequent incidence, heterogeneity, terminological and classification obscurity they represent a difficult diagnostic problem for their appropriate diagnosis and consequent therapeutic considerations. Therefore in addition to the recognition of the importance of the biopsy examination, their diagnostic procedure requires to apply a multidisciplinary approach. The aim of this work is to review the authors’ experience and to present the necessity of the accuracy of the diagnostic analysis of biopsy specimens of NETs, to identify morphologic and phenotypic features most suggestive of neuroendocrine differentiation. The great emphasis is especially given on the application of a unified terminology and classification of NETs in routine practice.