Bronchial carcinoid tumors

Bronchial carcinoid tumors (BCTs) have long been regarded as predominantly central and rarely calcified. The authors have retrospectively reviewed CT findings for 31 patients (thin-section CT in 17) with BCTs (18 central, 13 peripheral). Varied patterns of intratumoral calcification were found in eight (26%). Calcification was more common in central BCT (seven of 18, [39%]) than in peripheral BCT (one of 13 [8%]). The seven calcified central tumors were each of typical histopathologic type, whereas the one calcified peripheral tumor was of atypical histopathologic type. In summary, peripheral BCTs (42%) were nearly as common as central BCTs (58%), and CT detection of calcification in BCT was not uncommon (39% of central lesions, 26% overall)