[Carcinoid of the digestive tract. Diagnostic possibilities (author's transl)]

Special features which enable preoperative differential diagnosis are dealt with in detail with reference to 44 patient with carcinoid of the digestive tract. Carcinoid of the appendix becomes noticable early with signs of acute or chronic appendicitis and in 94% of cases is operated on in good time. Angiography of the superior mesenteric artery shows a characteristic stellate figure in the mesenterium in carcinoid of the small intestine. In contrast to the primary tumor, liver metastases show intense vascularization in the angiogram. A rise in urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid is pathognomonic for carcinoid, its determination permits the checking of operative radicality and shows the appearance of metastases early.