Endoscopic Resection of a Pediatric Carcinoid Lung Tumor Presenting as Persistent Pneumonia

Primary lung tumors are very rare in children and constitute only 0.2 percent of all pediatric malignancies. Carcinoids are the most common primary pediatric lung tumor and account for 80 percent of all primary malignant bronchial tumors. Carcinoid tumors can be histologically categorized as typical or atypical. They are derived from neuroendocrine cells in the bronchial epithelium and are locally infiltrative. Surgical resection of endobronchial carcinoid tumors is the mainstay of treatment with a five-year survival of 95 percent. Endoscopic resection has been reported in adult patients with typical carcinoid tumors (less than 20 mm) with no extrabronchial disease. We present the first pediatric bronchial carcinoid tumor treated with endoscopic resection.