CARCINOID TUMOR OF THE STOMACH PRESENTING CARCINOID SYNDROME WITHOUT METASTASIS REPORT OF A CASE

Abstract

A 43-year-old female whose symptoms had begun with right upper quadrant abdomi-nal pain 2 months ago was referred to us for treatment of gastric tumor. Before admission she had several attacks of paroxysmal flushing on the face, headache and palpitation with elevation of urinary 5 HIAA. Barium meal and endoscopic study revealed a flat sessile tumor, 25mm in diameter, on the greater curvature of the antrum. Subtotal gastrectomy was performed, since the rapid frozen section showed characteristics of carcinoid tumor. She had no metastasis as revealed by radiological and sonographic studies, and she has been well for 4 years without no signs of reccurence. Carcinoid syndrome in carcinoid tumors of the stomach was usually associated with metastasis to the liver or other organs. This was a rare case that had carcinoid syndrome from a gastric carcinoid tumor without metastasis. The possible mechanisms were discussed.