[Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in primary small intestinal tumors]

Between 1975 and 1985 37 patients (23 men, 14 women, 34.3-88 years, mean age 59.5 years) with a primary tumor of the small intestine (7 benign, 8 carcinoids, 22 malign neoplasms) were operated. Preoperative diagnosis could be improved by sonography and computed tomography. In dubious cases explorative laparotomy is recommended. 1 patient died postoperatively. During the mean follow-up period of 32.7 months 19 patients (57%) died with a mean survival time of 19.7 month. An improvement of prognosis of small intestinal tumors may be possible by an early diagnosis and a radical surgical approach, according to the health status of the patient.