Endoscopic therapy of rectal carcinoid: a report of 27 cases

Objective To assess the effect of treatment of rectal carcinoid tumors through endoscopy.Methods Endoscopic dissection was performed for patients during Jun.2005 to Dec.2009,in whom an elevated lesion in rectal mucosa as seen through colonoscopy,and highly suspected to be rectal carcinoid by endoscopic ultrasound(EUS),with the diameter of the lesion smaller than 1.0cm,was excised through endoscope.After being proved to be totally excised,endoscopic biopsy was performed at 4 to 6 sites along borderline of the tumor.Accurate rate of EUS was evaluated by postoperative pathology.Invasion and entirety of excised tumor were analyzed by pathological examination.Colonoscopy and liver ultrasound were carried out one time every half a year during the follow-up.Results 27 patients with elevated lesion in rectal mucosa were investigated.Rectal carcinoid was highly suspected in these patients and met the indication for endoscopic excision.The elevated lesion in rectal mucosa was excised successfully by endoscopy in all cases.Postoperative pathology confirmed that corvect diagnosis of rectal carcinoid was 92.6%(25/27).Interstitialoma was found in 1 patient,and granular cell tumor in another patient.All the 25 patients with rectal carcinoid were followed up with an average follow-up time of 33.7±12.5 months.Metastases and recurrence had not been found.Conclusions EUS has a good diagnostic specificity in the elevated lesion of rectal mucosa,and can accurately assess the indication of endoscopic excision.Endoscopic excision is a safe and effective method for rectal carcinoid which is smaller than 1.0 cm.