A carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater treated by endoscopic snare papillectomy.

Here, a case of a patient with incidental finding of a carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater, who was treated with endoscopic snare papillectomy, is reported. A 62-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to a carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater, which was found during follow-up endoscopy after an endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer. No lymphadenopathy or visceral metastasis was found on an abdominal CT scan, In-111 octerotide scan and EUS. The ampulla was then en bloc removed by endoscopic snare papillectomy. The resected specimen revealed a 0.7 x 0.5 x 0.1 cm sized carcinoid tumor. All margins of resection were negative for tumor. After six months of follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence and metastasis, either endoscopically or radiologically. To our knowledge, this case is the first report of an ampullary carcinoid tumor treated by endoscopic snare papillectomy in Korea.