[Bronchial carcinoid. A clinical, roentgenological and pathological study of 17 cases]

17 cases with bronchial carcinoid were reported. 16 cases of them were proved pathologically after pulmonary resection, and the remaining one was confirmed histopathologically through bronchoscopic biopsy. 64.7% was under 40 years of age. The main clinical manifestations were cough, hemoptysis, fever and repeated pneumonitis. In one patient, the carcinoid was associated with Cushing's syndrome. Chest roentgenograms showed lesions centrally located in 12 cases, and peripherally located in 5 cases. Histological examination revealed 15 typical and 2 atypical carcinoid tumors. This disease was usually misdiagnosed as lung cancer, tuberculoma and benign tumors. Chest X-ray examination and fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy are helpful to the diagnosis of the disease. Pulmonary resection was performed in 16 cases. Two patients had hilar lymph node metastases, one of them had also involvement of pericardium. There was no operative mortality. In the follow-up study, the disease-free actuarial survival following pulmonary resection was 92.9% at 5 years. 2 patients died. One died of respiratory failure 4 months after pneumonectomy, the other died of pericardium involvement of carcinoid 8 months after operation. Resection is the only effective treatment for bronchial carcinoid.