Carcinoid Tumors and Morbid Obesity

Abstract

Carcinoid is a rare gastrointestinal tumor, with an incidence varying from 1 to 2.5 per 100,000 in the general population. In this article, we report an elevated incidence of carcinoid tumor in an obese population, showing the importance of performing an endoscopic procedure before bariatric surgery.

Gastric Carcinoid and Obesity: Association or Coincidence? Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

“…Similarly, in our series two of gastric carcinoids were diagnosed out of 863 (0.23%) cases of obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. This makes the overall incidence 230 per 100,000 population more than the general population and similar to the finding previously reported by Mottin et al [7]. This observation further supports the hypothesis that carcinoid tumor has an association with obesity.…”

“…In a series of 426 patients who underwent bariatric operation, carcinoid tumor was diagnosed preoperatively in only one patient [4]. Similarly, there were additional four cases reported in the literature [5–7]. In this paper another two cases of such tumor are reported in two sisters going for sleeve gastrectomy with a review of the previous cases.…”

“…On the other hand, type 3 carcinoid is commonly single, larger, and associated more with deeper invasion and more lymph node metastasis [11]. Incidental gastric carcinoids diagnosed by prebariatric surgery UGIE are rare with only five cases that have been reported in the literature [4–7]. By looking to the previously reported cases of gastric carcinoid in prebariatric patients (Table 1), we can extrapolate some of the following findings: all cases were reported in female patients with age ranged from 32 to 41.…”

“…There were no clear reasons for the increase, but the authors attributed this to more awareness of this tumor and improvement in diagnostic technology. In the study performed by Mottin et al [7], they found that the incidence of carcinoid tumor in their series of obese patients was 0.358% that is equal to (358 per 100,000). This incidence is higher than previously mentioned general population incidence.…”

High Incidence of Appendix Carcinoid Tumors Among Candidates for Bariatric Surgery: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

“…Although rare in the general population, with an incidence lower than 1 per 100,000 persons, intestinal carcinoid tumors proved to be more frequently diagnosed in obese subjects [20,23,[27][28][29]. In 2002, Keshishan et al [27] reported an incidence of such tumors as high as 1.5% in obese patients.…”