Carcinoid Tumour of the long: T.U. Teaching Hospital experience

Abstract

Introduction: Bronchial carcinoid tumours are rare tumours which account for 1-2% of lung cancers and arise from cells of the APUD system. Patients and Method: Out of the 1550 cases of lung cancer cases that visited our unit over the last 9½ years, 105 patients underwent lung resections and only 12 cases among them were of bronchial carcinoid tumour. One patient of bronchial carcinoid was treated endobronchially. Results: In this paper we have analyzed a series of 13 patients retrospectively, extracting data from the hospital records of the patients. There were 7 female and 6 male patients and the mean age was 32 years. None had features of carcinoid syndrome but 1 patient had features of Cushing Syndrome. Recurrent chest infection (53.8%) was the commonest presenting symptom and the duration of symptom was from 4 months to 8 years. Transbronchial aspiration cytology, bronchial biopsy and CT guided FNAC were used to establish the diagnosis preoperatively. Pneumonectomy was done in 7 cases, lobectomy in 4 patients and 1 patient underwent bilobectomy. There were no lymph node metastases in all the cases. Histopathologically, 10 cases were typical carcinoid and 3 cases were atypical carcinoid. Other surgical modalities include bronchotomy with wedge resection and sleeve resection which may be done in some selected cases.The patients were followed up from three months to nine and half years. Conclusion: In conclusion, physicians should consider bronchoscopy to evaluate recurrent pneumonia to rule out endobronchial lesions like carcinoid tumour. Bronchial carcinoid tumours are potentially curable tumour when surgical resection is performed. There was no evidence of recurrence in all the 13 cases. However, long term follow up has to be done. Journal of Institute of Medicine Vol.28(1) 2006