Pulmonary carcinoid: own experience of surgical treatment

Objective. To share own experience for surgical treatment of pulmonary carcinoid tumours. Materials and methods. During last 13 yrs in Department of Thoracic Surgery and Invasive Methods of Diagnosis of Yanovskyi National Institute of Phthisiatry and Pulmonology were treated 45 patients, suffering pulmonary carcinoid. Average age of the patients have constituted 45 yrs old. Among the patients the women prevailed – 31 (68.9%). Concomitant pathology have had 15.6% patients. In 38 (84.4%) patients the disease was diagnosed accidentally in elective roentgenological examination. Pronounced clinical features of the disease were observed in 3 (6.7%) patients only. Additional 4 (8.9%) patients complained about insignificant worsening in general well-being: moderate dyspnea, dry periodical cough, frequent bronchitis. Results. There were 44 (97.8%) patients operated. The most frequent operation performed in patients with pulmonary carcinoid was lobectomy in various modifications: a classic one – in 16 (36.4%), video-assisted – 13 (29.5%), and bronchoplastic – 5 (11.4%). Operative interventions were performed in accordance to rules for thoracic surgery and for oncological surgery in particular. In a central localization of the process the diagnosis was verified preoperatively in all the patients, while in peripheral carcinoids only - in 2 (25.0%) patients, in whom transthoracic biopsy with histological investigation of biopsies was performed. In other 6 (75.0%) patients, suffering peripheral carcinoid, intraoperative histological or cytological investigations with determination of further surgical tactics were conducted. Conclusion. Pulmonary carcinoid is characterised by slow course and absence of pronounced clinical signs, what causes its late diagnosis. To select an optimal method of surgical treatment histological verification of the diagnosis is mandatory. In treatment of pulmonary carcinoid tumours, surgical method is choosed.