ABSTRACT
Carcinoids are rare tumors originating from neuroendocrine cells. A large proportion of these tumors produce serotonin and other biologically active hormones which may produce carcinoid syndrome characterized by flushing, diarrhoea and bronchospasm. Carcinoid heart disease, a rare complication of carcinoid syndrome, may itself have a great impact on life expectancy of patients with carcinoid syndrome. The authors present a case history of a patients with carcinoid heart disease and they review the symptoms, diagnosis and therapeutic options of this rare complication of carcinoid syndrome.
Subject(s)
Carcinoid Heart Disease/diagnosis , Carcinoid Heart Disease/therapy , Ileal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Ileal Neoplasms/therapy , Octreotide/analogs & derivatives , Carcinoid Heart Disease/complications , Carcinoid Heart Disease/metabolism , Diagnosis, Differential , Echocardiography, Doppler, Color , Flushing/etiology , Humans , Ileal Neoplasms/pathology , Ileal Neoplasms/surgery , Lymphatic Metastasis , Male , Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome/diagnosis , Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome/therapy , Middle Aged , Octreotide/therapeutic use , Prognosis , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Severity of Illness Index , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Yttrium Radioisotopes/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Acromegaly is an endocrine disease with specific somatic changes due to an excess of growth hormone. The majority of cases are caused by growth hormone producing pituitary tumors. Cardiovascular complications, which can be detected even in the early stages of the disease, are considered as major contributing factors in the increased morbidity and mortality of the patients. In this review authors briefly summarize clinical characteristics of acromegalic cardiomyopathy.
