ABSTRACT
Carcinoid tumors represent a type of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of primarily enterochromaffin cells that can present in a number of ways. In 1907, these tumors were first termed karzinoide, or carcinoid, by the German pathologist Obendorfer. They were described as tumors of the ileum, with a more indolent presentation than one would expect from an adenocarcinoma [1]. Forty years earlier, in 1867, Langhans first described the histology of what is known as a carcinoid today [2]. In 1888, Lubarsch reported carcinoid tumors in the ileum of two patients discovered during autopsy [3]. Since the initial description, scientific and clinical research has elucidated many details about these tumors; however, much remains to be discovered.
