REVIEW OF INCIDENCE OF CARCINOID LUNG TUMORS IN IRAQ

Background: Carcinoid lung tumors are rare tumor which tend to be slow growing. They are one type of neuroendocrine tumors, they have two type, typical (low grade) and atypical (intermediate grade). 1.2% of primary lung tumors are carcinoid. The average age of people affected is 40-50 years for typical subtype while atypical have been reported in virtually every age group. Cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis and recurrent chest infection are the main presenting symptoms. Chest x-ray, CT scan of chest and bronchoscopy are the main tools in the diagnosis of carcinoid lung tumor. Management was mainly surgical with resection of the affected lobe or lobes of the lung obiective: the study is planned to review the incidence of carcinoid lung tumor, methods of diagnosis and outcome of surgical treatment. Study design: retrospective and comparative study Setting: Department of Thoracic Surgery of Al-shaheed Ghazi hariri Hospital, Medical City Teaching Complex, Baghdad, Iraq Patients and methods: review of clinical record and surgeon note of 20-patients with carcinoid lung tumor during 18-years (1996-2013). Collecting information relevant to patients variable with regard to age, sex, presenting symptoms, radiographic findings (chest x-ray and CT scan) bronchoscopic finding, pre-operative preparation, post-operative course and the histopathology of the resected specimens. Results: 13 patients out of 20 (65%), were under the age of 40 year. 11 patients out of 20 (55%) were female. Cough and shortness of breath are the most common presenting symptoms. All of patients have a typical bronchoscopic findings with cherry-red-coloured, smooth, polypoid, vascular tumor that bleeds easily and profusely. All the patients were managed surgically with formal postero lateral thoracotomy and resection of affected part of lung and there was no significant post-operative complication. conclusion: Early detection of bronchial carcinoid tumor with the use of Endobronchial ultra Sound EUs or future tumor markers, a more conservative surgical procedure such as sleeve or wedge resection, can be adopted with the hope of saving more functioning lung tissue.