Gastric carcinoid tumors: radiographic features in eight cases

A retrospective analysis of eight proven cases of gastric carcinoid tumors is reported with emphasis on the radiographic features. These tumors occur rarely in the stomach and have variable radiographic presentations: (1) intramural defects simulating leiomyomas, (2) multiple gastric polyps, (3) large gastric ulcers, and (4) polypoid intraluminal lesions. In this series, single submucosal lesions located in the fundus and body of the stomach were demonstrated in five patients, adjacent sessile polyps in one patient, and large gastric ulcerations in the other two patients. In five of the cases, ulcerations were clearly visualized radiographically. Three patients had pathologic evidence of metastatic dissemination. The unusual entity of argentaffin-cell adenocarcinoma of the stomach is illustrated and discussed together with a pertinent review of the literature.