Clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary pancreatic carcinoid tumors: A report of 13 cases from a single institution

The present study aimed to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of 13 cases of pancreatic carcinoid tumors during a 56-year period at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (Tianjin, China). The data from 13 cases, consisting of 5 males and 8 females (mean age, 50 years), were collected and analyzed. Hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemistry staining were performed to investigate the expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cytokeratin (CK), chromogranin A (CgA) and synaptophysin (Syn) in the tumors. The affected patients suffered abdominal and/or back pain without typical carcinoid syndrome. Radical resection was performed in 10 cases and regional resection in one case. The remaining two patients exhbited remote metastasis, and so were treated with single and double bypass surgery (choledochojejunostomy and gastrojejunostomy/choledochojejunostomy, respectively). The expression of CK, Syn, CgA and NSE was positive in nine (69.23%), 10 (76.92%), five (38.46%) and eight (61.54%) cases, respectively. The median survival time was 26.6 months. In conclusion, in patients with pancreatic carcinoid tumors that exhibit no typical carcinoid syndrome, such as those in the present study, the diagnosis can be confirmed by pathological examination and surgery is the most effective treatment.