Computed tomography of abdominal carcinoid tumors

Computed tomographic (CT) scans were obtained in 20 patients with primary and/or metastatic abdominal carcinoid tumors. The primary tumors were seen rarely on CT. Mesenteric involvement was seen in eight of the 20 patients, usually as a soft-tissue mass surrounded by fat and radiating soft-tissue strands. Enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes were seen in seven patients, but rarely were they the only manifestation of intraabdominal disease. The most common finding was liver metastases (13 of 20 patients). CT is helpful in evaluating the extent of tumor before surgical exploration and in following the progression of disease once the diagnosis has been established.