Bronchoscopic therapy in patients with intraluminal typical bronchial carcinoid.

OBJECTIVE

To study the efficacy of bronchoscopic therapy in patients with intraluminal typical bronchial carcinoid.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of the data of patients with bronchial carcinoid, treated primarily with bronchoscopic techniques such as Nd-YAG laser in various hospitals in the Netherlands.

SUBJECTS

Eleven patients with pulmonary complaints, ages 22 to 60 years, who were found to have intraluminal typical bronchial carcinoid. BRONCHOSCOPIC INTERVENTIONS: Six of the 11 patients received Nd-YAG laser treatments, one received Nd-YAG laser plus photodynamic therapy, and the other four had mechanical tumor removal.

RESULTS

Six patients were surgically treated after bronchoscopic therapy. The resected specimens showed no residual carcinoid. Median follow-up has been 70 months (range, 9 to 170 months). Five patients were not surgically treated after bronchoscopic therapy. Follow-up has been 27 to 246 months (median, 47 months) without signs of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

In 11 patients with typical, intraluminal, bronchial carcinoids, bronchoscopic treatment seemed to result in excellent local control, with surgical proof of cure in 6 of 11 patients. Bronchoscopic approach may provide a tissue-sparing alternative for bronchoplastic surgery in a subset of patients with typical intraluminal bronchial carcinoids.