Carcinoid Tumor of the Stomach a Rare Form of Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor: a Report on Three Cases

Abstract

Between 1994 and 1999 three patients with gastric carcinoid tumors were diagnosed at Yüzüncü Yil University Medical Faculty, Department of Surgery. Their ages were 65, 80, and 50 years, and all were male. The major complaints were epigastric pain, dysphagia, loss of appetite and weight, postprandial vomiting and in one patient, hematemesis and melena. None of the patients had carcinoid syndrome. The tumor was located in the upper portion of the stomach in one case and distal portion of the stomach in two cases. All three patients were initially diagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the stomach due to the endoscopic appearance of the tumor and histologic evaluation of the endoscopic biopsy. Because of the diagnosis of gastric carcinoma, two of them underwent subtotal gastrectomy and the other had a total gastrectomy. Histological examination of the resected materials showed well differantiated carcinoid tumors. Two cases had lymph node metastasis. Tumor cells in the stomach were immunoreactive for chromogranin A and neuron specific enolase and Grimelius positive for argyrophil cell detection. This paper presents a literature review and describes these three cases.