Incidentally Found Rectal Carcinoid Tumor in a 46-Year-Old Female: The Potential for Complications and the Importance of Screening Guidelines

TL;DR

A 46-year-old woman with diabetes and hypertension had a rare rectal tumor found by chance, showing the need for early screening to prevent complications.

Contribution

Highlights the importance of early screening and management of rectal carcinoid tumors in patients with chronic conditions.

Findings

Carcinoid tumors can affect blood glucose control in patients with diabetes.

Early detection through colonoscopy can lead to complete cure of rectal carcinoid tumors.

Treatment of carcinoid tumors may impact existing chronic diseases like diabetes.

Abstract

Carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine tumors that can be found in the gastrointestinal tract as well as other areas throughout the body. The neurosecretory nature of these tumors can have implications for other chronic diseases that patients may have, such as diabetes. Certain treatments that may be implemented for patients who have carcinoid tumors, such as somatostatin analogs and Everolimus, can also alter blood glucose control. This highlights the importance of diagnosing and treating carcinoid tumors as early as possible to avoid complications associated with metastasis and more intense treatment. With more advanced diseases, clinicians should consider the possible effects of carcinoid tumors and their treatments on other chronic conditions as they manage the patient. For gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors, colonoscopy screening guidelines are incredibly important to counsel patients on, as resection can yield a complete cure for carcinoid tumors when they are found at an early stage. Here, we describe the case of an incidentally diagnosed rectal carcinoid tumor in a 46-year-old female patient with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

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