intermediate

Last reviewed 01/2018

There are four types of benign small bowel tumours that have a strong tendency for malignant change. Each shows a spectrum of activity from truly benign to frank cancer. They include:

• villous adenoma:
• closely associated with carcinoma
• small bowel polyps may accompany up to half of all cases of Gardner's syndrome
• smooth muscle tumours:
• may present with haemorrhage, obstructive symptoms or a palpable mass
• treated by wide resection and occasionally respond to chemotherapy
• duodenal apudomas:
• 10% of all gastrinomas arise at this site
• treated by local excision or pancreatoduodenectomy
• carcinoid tumours:
• the ileum is the second most frequent site of occurrence
• approximately one third have metastasized by the time of diagnosis