Case: AP168
Contributor's Comment: The official diagnosis of this tumor is "carcinoid, tubular variant" or "tubular carcinoid". The tumor consists purely of endocrine cells (just that they form tubular structures), with diffuse strong staining for synaptophysin and chromogranin. Four participants use the term "adenocarcinoid", a terminology which is currently not recommended because of confusion of its meaning in the literature -- this term is also not used in the new WHO classification. In the literature the term has been either used as being synonymous with goblet cell carcinoid, or to encompass goblet cell carcinoid and tubular carcinoid. Tubular carcinoid of the appendix is practically benign like conventional carcinoid of the appendix, while goblet cell carcinoid (which should have a component of non-endocrine glandular cells) has a higher aggressive potential.(JKCC)