[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of carcinoid tumors of the appendix in 64 patients].
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the experience in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of carcinoid tumors of the appendix.


METHODS
From 1972 to 2006, 64 patients with carcinoid tumors of the appendix received surgical treatment in our hospitals. The clinical data of those patients were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
Of the 64 cases, only 6 cases (9.4%) were correctly diagnosed preoperatively, while 58 (90.6%) not confirmed, with a misdiagnosis rate of 90.6%. All patients underwent surgical treatment, including appendectomy in 54, ileocecectomy in 4, right hemicolectomy in 2 and right hemicolectomy with regional lymph node dissection in 4 cases. The operation modes were determined according to the doctor's judgments based on the age of the patients, the nature, size, location, infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of the tumors. Of the 64 patients, 58 were followed up with a longest follow-up period of 13 years, while 6 lost follow-up. Fifty-seven of those were still surviving, only one died of liver metastasis at 13 years after operation.


CONCLUSIONS
Carcinoid tumor of the appendix is rare with a high rate of misdiagnosis before operation. Surgical resection is the only effective treatment for this disease and proper operation mode is the key to achieve good survival.
Yang
Wei-Liang
WL
Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China. wlyang_2008@163.com
Yan
Chao-Qi
CQ
Wang
Fu-Jing
FJ
Wang
Hui-Liang
HL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy; D001063:Appendiceal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult