Retroperitoneal malignant extra-gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor with EWSR1::CREM fusion and IL-6-related systemic inflammatory symptoms: a case report

Malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumors (GNETs) are mesenchymal tumors that typically arise in the digestive tract and harbor EWSR1::ATF1 or EWSR1::CREB1 fusions. We report a case of primary retroperitoneal GNET in a 38-year-old woman who presented with a month-long fever with increased serum IL-6 level. A right retroperitoneal mass of 7 cm consisting of diffuse sheets of small cells with a high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio and scattered osteoclast-like multinucleated giant cells was confirmed apart from the digestive tract. Peripheral lymphoid cuff and focal pseudoangiomatous spaces were present, reminiscent of angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma. The tumor cells were positive for S100 protein and SOX10 and negative for melanocytic markers. Fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed EWSR1 and CREM gene rearrangements, consistent with EWSR1::CREM fusion, which has never been reported in GNET. The patient lives with recurrent lesions for 8 months. This case was associated with several unusual features and contributes to the evolving GNET concept.