Published online Aug 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i16.2461
Revised: December 23, 2003
Accepted: February 18, 2004
Published online: August 15, 2004
We have encountered an unusual case of gastric carcinoid tumor. Gastroscopic examination of this 32-year-old male patient showed a smooth protrusion at the greater curvature of the gastric body with a central depression, identified by subsequent biopsy as carcinoma. The patient had a normal serum gastrin level and was negative for anti-parietal cell antibody. Histological examination of the resected gastric tissues showed that the tumor was a carcinoid, 0.3 cm × 0.3 cm in size with only one regional lymph node metastasis. We reviewed the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of gastric carcinoids and raise the possibility of being a lymph vessel-related metastasis even for a minute carcinoid tumor. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for surgery of minute carcinoid tumors.