Spontaneous Partial Regression of a Carcinoid Tumor: Radiology May Not Capture the Real Picture

Neuroendocrine syndrome in bronchial carcinoid tumors

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors represent bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms which might synthetize serotonin, histamine, bombesin or other types of hormones responsible for the development of a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms, known as carcinoid syndrome. Data of 98 patients submitted to surgery for bronchial carcinoid tumors in the Thoracic Surgery Clinic of the 'Marius Nasta' Institute of Pneumophtisiology between 2014 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were submitted to paraclinical tests, imagistic studies (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging), bronchoscopy and biopsy in order to have a positive diagnostic of pulmonary carcinoid. The most common clinical symptoms at the time of presentation were: Persistent cough followed by dyspnea and recurrent pulmonary infections. The main neuroendocrine syndromes found were Cushing and Carcinoid Syndrome. All patients were submitted to surgery with curative intent consisting of wedge resection (in 4 cases, 4.08%), lobectomy (in 79 cases, 80.61%), bilobectomy (in 5 cases, 5.1%) and pneumonectomy respectively (in 10 cases, 10.2%). In all cases neuroendocrine specific symptoms disappeared once the carcinoid tumor was removed. In conclusion, bronchial carcinoid tumors have a positive outcome in most cases. Specific neuroendocrine markers as well as neuroendocrine syndrome disappears once the tumor is removed.