This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Sites of carcinoid tumours

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Carcinoid tumours may occur where there are Kulchitsky cells:

  • gastrointestinal tract - in order of frequency:

  • mid-gut:
    • 60% of cases
    • particularly distal third of appendix and terminal ileum
    • rarely in a Meckel's diverticulum

  • hindgut:
    • 10-20% of cases
    • usually rectum

  • foregut:
    • 10-20% of cases
    • mainly stomach, but also duodenum and oesophagus

  • outside the GI tract:
    • bronchus
    • testes
    • ovaries

Potential to metastasise is related to site and size:

  • appendix 3% metastasise, ileum 30% metastasise
  • less than 1 cm, 2% metastasise; 1-2 cm, 50% metastasise; more than 2 cm, 80% metastasise

Appendiceal carcinoids are rarely multiple; ileal carcinoids are multiple in 30%.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.