Background and aim: Gastric carcinoid tumors are rare but increasing in incidence. Current recommendations suggest endoscopic resection for type I carcinoids found in the stomach, however reports of incomplete resection have led to difficulty planning future management. Our purpose was to describe the application of the endoscopic multi-band mucosectomy (MBM) device to achieve en-bloc resection of multiple gastric carcinoid tumors.
Methods: Over a 30-month period (June 2006-January 2009) eight patients attending for endoscopic assessment of gastric carcinoid tumors were identified at two tertiary referral centers. Patients underwent endoscopic resection of the carcinoids with an MBM device. En-bloc specimens underwent histological evaluation for identification and tumor resection margins. Patients with type I carcinoids were subsequently enrolled in an endoscopic follow-up program.
Results: A total of 34 gastric carcinoid tumors were removed from eight patients. On histological analyses seven out of eight patients were diagnosed with type I tumors. In the remaining patient a single, sporadic (type III) gastric carcinoid was diagnosed. No complications of severe bleeding or perforation occurred. All specimens were shown to have clear deep and peripheral histological resection margins.
Conclusion: Complete 'en-bloc' endoscopic resection of multiple 'type I' gastric carcinoid tumors can be safely and easily performed with an MBM technique.