A report of two cases of bronchial carcinoid, including one case of atypical carcinoid.

Abstract

Bronchial carcinoid is one of the unusual tumors of the lung, accounting for 1 percent of all lung tumors. Carcinoids, like small cell carcinomas, are generally considered to be derived from a neurosecretary type of cell of the respiratory epithelium, the Kulchtsky's cell. So, they are no longer classified as bronchial adenoma, and are recently grouped into the neuroendocrine group of tumors, the so-called APUD (Amine Precursor Uptake Decarboxylase) group of tumors. Although usually characterized by a slow growth pattern and a low incidence of metastatic disease, bronchial carcinoids should no longer be considered as beingn, and a much higher malignant behavior has been described with a special destignation of 'atypical carcinoid'. Bronchial carcinoids are histologically confirmed by the azurophil staining and the presence of the characteristic neurosecretary granule on electron microscopy. Recently we experienced two cases of bronchial carcinoid, the first case, being peripheral-located and histologically proven as atypical carcinoid, and the second, being central-located and hitologically typical. So we report these cases with a review of the literature.