A Case of Primary Duodenal Carcinoid Tumor / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

Carcinoid tumors are slow growing, rare neoplasms that arise from enterochromaffin cells, with malignant potential. Primary duodenal carcinoid tumors are rare, the reported incidence being 2.0 ~8.9% of all gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors. Unless the carcinoid syndrome has developed, the non-specificity of the symptoms and physical findings, makes the clinical diagnosis of these tumors difficult. However, with the introduction of large and deep endoscopic biopsies, it is possible to diagnose duodenal carcinoid tumors at an early stage. Usually, local resection is the therapy of choice because of the very slow growth of the lesion and the low incidence of metastasis. Radical surgery is mandatory only in lesions more than 2 cm in diameter, or in the presence of muscular invasion. A 69-year-old female visited our medical department, having had symptoms of upper ab-dominal pain and intermittent melena for 1 week. Endoscopic examination showed 2.5 2.5 cm sized elevated mass lesion with central ulceration in the anterior wall side of the duodenal bulb. Immunohistochemical stains of the biopsy specimen showed that the tumor cells are positive reactivity for NSE (neuron-specific-enolase), chromogranin A, and cyto-keratin.