Publication date: Sep 01, 2024

We present the case of a 59-year-old man from South India who presented with shortness of breath, abdominal distention, and decreased appetite. Initial laboratory investigations and imaging, including radiolabeled somatostatin positron emission tomography-computed tomography, were suggestive of neuroendocrine tumor (NET). However, following extensive workup and multiple biopsies over several weeks, the diagnosis was revised to extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of distinguishing between NET and EPTB. We also review varying literature on the pathogenesis and similarities between these two conditions, discuss the role of laboratory investigations and imaging in identifying overlapping findings, and compare the diagnostic modalities used for NET and EPTB.

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