Recurrent Carcinoid Tumor of the Colon

Carcinoid tumors are among the most unusual tumors occurring in man. This lesion was probably first described by Lubarsch in 1888¹ and was named and differentiated from carcinoma in 1907 by Oberndorfer.² These tumors arise from the chromaffin cells of the intestine which were first described in 1897 by Nicholas Kultschitzky.³ Masson ⁴ demonstrated cytoplasmic granules in these cells which are capable of reducing silver compounds, hence the names "argentaffine cells" and "argentaffine tumors." During the ensuing years there have been many reports in the literature of these tumors occurring in various parts of the intestinal tract. In the past decade they have been found occasionally to be associated with a bizarre symptom complex which has been named the "carcinoid syndrome" or "functioning carcinoid tumor." This discovery by Biörck et al ⁵ and Thorson et al ⁶ has added greatly to the interest and importance of these