A Case of Goblet Cell Carcinoid of the Appendix

Makoto Mitsusada, Kimiyoshi Shimanuki, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Kouichi Shinohara, Hirokazu Kiyosaki, Michio Miyata, Shigeki Yamada*

Department of Surgery and Pathology*, Jichi Medical School Omiya Medical Center

We report a case of goblet cell carcinoid tumor of the appendix. An 80-year-old man was diagnosed as having peritonitis due to acute appendicitis and an appendectomy was performed. The postoperative histologic investigation revealed a goblet cell carcinoid tumor of the proximal part of the appendix and a gangrenous change in its tip. Although there was no tumor cell infiltration at the surgical margin, we considered performing a right hemicolectomy, because of adhesion of the appendix to the cecum and the microscopic finding of intralymphatic invasion. However, taking the patient's age and his bad cardiac state into acount, we did not perform any subsequent operation. No evidence of metastasis was seen on post-operative diagnostic imagings. We also reviewed 23 cases of this rare tumor with histologic features of both carcinoid and adenocarcinoma in Japan. Our ounclusion was that, if possible, a subsequent operation should be carried out, because of the rather malignant clinical behavior of this tumor.

Key words
carcinoid of the appendix vermiformis, goblet cell carcinoid

Reprint requests
Makoto Mitsusada Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical School Omiya Medical Center
1-847 Amanuma-chou Omiya-shi, 330 JAPAN

Accepted
May 13, 1992

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