[Bronchopulmonary carcinoids: neoplasms with attenuated malignancy or true and proper malignant tumors?]

The authors, in reporting their series of 6 bronchopulmonary carcinoids, dwell upon the criteria used to classify such neoplasms pointing out the related diagnostic problems. The presence of metastases and/or local recurrences as well as the impossibility to define the aggressiveness of the tumor brought the authors to consider such tumors as malignant. They conclude for a surgical approach which should be conservative: segmentectomy and lobectomy in elective procedures, whereas pneumonectomy and endoscopic resection should be reserved to particular cases.