Abstract
In order to determine the indication of radical operation for rectal carcinoid tumors, a clinicopathological study was made on 16 cases treated in our hospital from January, 1988 to December 1994. All cases underwent endoscopic polypectomy or transanal extirpation of the tumors, and were histologically diagnosed as having carcinoid tumors. The overally mean size of carcinoid tumors was 9.8mm in diameter. Abdominoperineal resection of the rectum with lymphadenectomy was performed additionally in three cases which had the tumors measuring over 10mm in diameter, while local resection was performed in the remaining 13 cases. In two cases with tumors measuring 15mm or larger in dimameter, there was histological invasion to muscularis propria as well as lymph node metastasis. Fourteen tumors less than 15mm in diameter were localized in the submucosal layer. No one had local recurrence or distant metastasis during the follow-up period of 50.9 months in an average. In conclusion, the patients with caricinoid tumors larger than 15mm in diameter should be recommended for radical operation with nodal dissection, because they likely have pararectal lymphnode metastasis.
