Case Report
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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Aug 15, 2014; 6(8): 301-310
Published online Aug 15, 2014. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v6.i8.301
Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract: Case reports and literature review
William J Salyers, Kenneth J Vega, Juan Carlos Munoz, Bruce W Trotman, Silvio S Tanev
William J Salyers, Kenneth J Vega, Juan Carlos Munoz, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Florida College of Medicine/Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States
Kenneth J Vega, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
Bruce W Trotman, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
Silvio S Tanev, Department of Pathology, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton, FL 34208, United States
Author contributions: Salyers WJ collected the data at the U of Florida College of Medicine/Jacksonville and wrote the initial manuscript; Vega KJ and Munoz JC supervised the initial manuscript; Trotman BW contributed cases and edited the manuscript; Tanev SS gathered the pathology slides and prepared the slides for publication.
Correspondence to: Kenneth J Vega, MD, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L Young Boulevard, WP 1345, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States. kenneth-vega@ouhsc.edu
Telephone: +1-405-2715428 Fax: +1-405-2715803
Received: February 27, 2014
Revised: June 7, 2014
Accepted: June 18, 2014
Published online: August 15, 2014
Processing time: 173 Days and 12.7 Hours
Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) previously called carcinoid tumors are neoplasms of enterochromaffin/neuroendocrine cell origin which display neurosecretory capacity that may result in the carcinoid syndrome. The annual incidence of patients with NET is 8.4 per 100000; yet many NET remain asymptomatic and clinically undetected. A majority of NET follows a benign course; however, some will display malignant characteristics. NET most commonly occur in the gastrointestinal tract (67%) and bronchopulmonary system (25%). Gastrointestinal NET occur within the stomach, small intestine, liver, and rectum. We report a retrospective study of 11 subjects: Eight with benign carcinoid tumors: duodenal bulb (n = 2), terminal ileum (n = 1), sigmoid colon (n = 2), and rectum (n = 3); three with malignant carcinoid: liver (n = 1) and intra-abdominal site (n = 2). The diagnosis, endoscopic images, outcome, treatment and review of the literature are presented.

Keywords: Neuroendocrine; Carcinoid; Gastrointestinal; Tumors

Core tip: Endoscopic procedures sometimes reveal submucosal lesions within the gastrointestinal tract that are resected and confirmed as neuroendocrine tumors by appropriate immunochemical stains. Most will be benign as demonstrated in our series of 11 subjects. This case series of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors reminds every endoscopist to carefully examine the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract for such lesions.