Elastic vascular sclerosis of mesenteric blood vessels in argentaffin carcinoma

Abstract

Argentaffin carcinoma (carcinoid tumour) of the ileum has been found to be associated with ischaemic ileal necrosis due to elastic sclerosis of the mesenteric blood vessels. This vascular change was present in 17 out of 25 ileal tumours, all of them invasive, but was absent in 75 appendicular, rectal, and other carcinoids. The pathology is described and essential points of difference are noted from the cardiovascular changes in the carcinoid syndrome. This elastic vascular sclerosis may be due to a product of the tumour and constitute an additional component of the complex range of changes that makes up `the carcinoid spectrum'.