ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is paucity of guidelines regarding management of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours in district hospitals. METHODS: This study was undertaken at a district hospital to analyse the management pathway of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours. RESULTS: Over a period of 10 years there were 35 patients, with an estimated annual incidence of 2.5 per 100,000 population. After a median follow up of 24 months, 22 (63%) patients were alive and disease free. Only 56% patients were referred to the regional neuro-endocrine multidisciplinary team. CONCLUSIONS: Management of patients with carcinoid tumours in district hospitals needs streamling with increased utilisation of regional neuroendocrine multidisciplinary teams.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumours are uncommon stromal tumours of the intestinal tract. They can involve any part of the gastrointestinal system, but are very rarely seen in the rectum. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a unique case of rectal schwannoma with associated synchronous adenocarcinoma of the splenic flexure and adenoma of the descending colon. A 70-year-old patient was admitted with complaint of bleeding per rectum and investigations revealed the presence of a large submucosal rectal lesion in addition to the colonic pathologies. Following panproctocolectomy with permanent spout ileostomy, histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the rectal lesion to be a schwannoma. CONCLUSION: Literature review of the few reported cases has suggested radical surgical excision to be the best approach. Prognosis tends to be favourable after resection.