title: Prevalence and clinicopathological characteristics of appendiceal carcinoids in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence and clinico-pathological profile of appendiceal carcinoids in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for clinically suspected acute appendicitis in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included the retrospective data of 964 patients operated for clinically suspected acute appendicitis, and the resected specimens were received at Al-Qasmi Hospital (Sharjah) from January 2010 to December 2010. The data of the patients who were histologically reported to have carcinoid tumors of the appendix were extensively evaluated for the patient's demographics, indication for surgery, surgical procedure, tumor localization in the appendix, diameter of the lesion, concomitant appendicitis, immunohistochemistry studies and clinical follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 964 patients included in the study, 9 (0.93%) were found to have appendiceal carcinoids. The mean age reported was 28.7 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Eight tumors were located near the tip of the appendix with a mean diameter of 3.3 mm, while the remaining one was near the proximal end of the appendix. All the cases were associated with concomitant suppurative appendicitis. In seven reported cases, tumors were confined to the muscular layer while in one case each there was an extension to the serosa and mesoappendix, respectively. All tumors were found to be positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase on immunohistochemistry but negative for cytokeratin-7. None of the patients developed recurrence or any reportable complications in the short follow-up period (12-26 mo) that was arranged as a six-monthly re-evaluation by abdominal ultrasonography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study found a higher incidence of appendiceal carcinoids in patients undergoing emergency appendectomy for acute appendicitis in Sharjah, UAE compared to two previous studies from the Persian Gulf region. Interestingly, tumors were found to be more commonly in young males, which is in contrast to previous studies. Moreover, all the tumors were positive for common neuroendocrine markers.
authors.affiliation: Khurshid Anwar, Clinical Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Emirates of Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Khurshid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.affiliation: Khurshid Anwar, Clinical Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Emirates of Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Munaf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: Khurshid Anwar, Clinical Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Emirates of Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Noura
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Bloushi
authors.affiliation: Khurshid Anwar, Clinical Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Emirates of Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Farheen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Khurshid Anwar, Clinical Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Emirates of Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Farhan Sachal
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Cyprian
keywords: Appendix; Carcinoid; Prevalence; Sharjah United Arab Emirates