Liver metastasis nineteen years after surgery for typical bronchial carcinoid

A resected case of metastatic liver carcinoid is presented. A 62 year-old w oman, who had undergone removal of a typical bronchial carcinoid 19 years b efore, was found to have a well-defined, oval hepatic tumor on ultrasonogra phy. The resected specimen was a hard and solid tumor, which was microscopi cally diagnosed as a carcinoid. Histological review of the previously resec ted lung tumor revealed that the liver tumor was a metastasis from the prim ary bronchial carcinoid. The patient is alive without recurrence 42 months after hepatectomy. This case suggests that typical bronchial carcinoid, a s lowly growing tumor, may metastasize to distant sites after many years, and that re-excision of metastatic lesions may prolong survival time.