[Carcinoid neoplasms of Vater;'s ampulla. Apropos a case examined]

Carcinoid tumors of the ampulla are an uncommon finding. The authors report an asymptomatic case of ampullary carcinoid in which the diagnosis was obtained only with definitive histology after radical surgery. The differential diagnosis of these tumors is quite difficult, mostly because they are often asymptomatic. Surgery seems to be the only effective therapy of these lesions; a wide resection with regional lymphectomy should be performed in all cases. Although the prognosis of ampullary carcinoids looks better than for adenocarcinoma and it is related to the tumor size, the history in this case suggests a more extensive indication for radical surgery.