Bronchial carcinoids.

Seventy-four bronchial carcinoids were observed over a period of 20 years, representing 69.7% of so-called "benign" tumors and 3.8% of all bronchial tumors resected during the same period of time. The tumors were centrally located in 59 cases and peripheral in 14 cases. From 54 biopsies, the preoperative diagnosis was accurate for 27, presumed for 15, doubtful for 15 and erroneous for 7 patients. Surgery was performed on 73 patients: 7 bronchotomies, 3 enucleations, 2 wedge resections, 5 segmentectomies, 35 lobectomies, 4 lobectomies with sleeve resections, 11 bilobectomies and 6 pneumonectomies. One patient died postoperatively. All the tumors were considered as carcinoids on initial microscopical examination. There were 4 cases of associated tumors. Six patients developed recurrence and 9 patients died from another cause. A pathology review changed the diagnosis into neuroendocrine carcinoma in 2 cases. Carcinoids should be considered and resected as carcinomas in the majority of cases, because of possible errors in diagnosis, of the effect of obstruction, of tumoral associations and of lymphatic involvement. Recurrences are possible.