Laparoscopic two-stage surgery for goblet cell carcinoid of the appendix: report of a case and review of the Japanese literature

Goblet cell carcinoid of the appendix is a rare clinical entity exhibiting features of both carcinoid and adenocarcinoma. Here, we present the first report of laparoscopic 2-stage surgery for goblet cell carcinoid with a review of the Japanese literature. A 49-year-old man underwent laparoscopic appendectomy under the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A pathologic diagnosis of goblet cell carcinoid, accompanied by the aggressive proliferation, with acute appendicitis was made. Subsequent laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed, and it was verified that there were neither residual tumor nor lymph node metastases. The postoperative course was uneventful. Because goblet cell carcinoid may be difficult to clinically distinguish from acute appendicitis, pathologic examination is essential. Depending upon the grade of tumor proliferation, additional resection should be considered, and our experience with this case suggests that laparoscopic 2-stage surgery is feasible for the adequate treatment of goblet cell carcinoid without complications.