[Bronchial carcinoid tumors: a prospective study]

We report the results of a study performed in the thoracic surgery department of Hospital General Universitario of Valencia from October 1989 to December 1996. Of the 621 patients diagnosed of lung cancer during this period, 320 underwent the usual surgical excision, 18 were confirmed histologically as bronchial carcinoid tumors, indicating an incidence of 5.6% of all pulmonary neoplasms resected in our department. The symptoms most often reported were recurring infection (44.5%) and chest pain (33.3%). Only one patient presented carcinoid syndrome. The most common radiologic presentation was solitary pulmonary nodule (50%). The tumor was visible by fiberoptic bronchoscopy in 9 cases. Diagnosis was by bronchial biopsy in four cases. Confirmation was by immunohistochemical analysis of the specimen in all cases. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques using neuroendocrine panmarkers is considered fundamental for differentiating between neuroendocrine neoplasms and typical and atypical carcinoid tumors. Thirteen (72.2%) of the 18 patients studied were diagnosed of typical carcinoids and 5 (27.8%) of atypical carcinoids. Neuroendocrine marking showed neurospecific enolase in 15 patients and chromogranin positivity in 10.