PREVALENCE OF APPENDICULAR CARCINOID TUMOUR IN NORTH WEST RAJASTHAN: A TWO YEARS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY AT OUR INSTITUTE

Background: Carcinoid tumours are rare incidental finding in appendicectomy specimens.  Appendiceal carcinoid tumours are found in 0·3–0·9 per cent of patients undergoing appendicectomy. Methods: The medical records of all the patients who underwent consecutive appendectomies and the specimen sent to pathology department for biopsy in Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner, were retrospectively analysed. Detailed medical history was noted age, gender, indication for surgery, surgical procedure, tumour localization in the appendix, diameter of the lesion after fixation with formaldehyde, and overall incidence of tumour reviewed in detail Results: Out of the total 1382 patients, 2 (0.15%) were found to have histological evidence of carcinoid tumour of the appendix. Both were male patients with a mean age of 26.5 years (range: 13-40 years). Acute appendicitis was the clinical presentation for both patients. Open appendectomy was performed in one and laparoscopic in other one. Histologically, all tumours were located at the tip of the appendix with a mean diameter of 0.7cm (range: 0.6-0.8 cm). Conclusion: Carcinoid tumours of the appendix are extremely rare and invariably remain asymptomatic and are mostly discovered incidentally for appendicectomy done for other reasons, mostly acute abdomen. Carcinoid Tumour was diagnosed on histological examination of the removed appendix. The site and the size of the tumours rather than the depth are used for the assessment of the CT. Keywords: Carcinoid Tumour, Acute Appendicitis, Neuroendocrine Tumours