Use of echocardiography in the diagnosis of carcinoid tumors. Report of 4 cases
Aviérinos, J.F.; Habib, G.; Garcia, M.; Lefèvre, J.; Médail, C.; Dufaut, F.; Philip, E.; Ambrosi, P.; Perrier, H.; Luccioni, R.
Archives des Maladies du Coeur et des Vaisseaux 93(3): 277-283
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9683 PMID: 11004974 Document Number: 520763
Carcinoid tumours are the most common neuro-endocrine tumours but cardiac involvement is rarely symptomatic although often observed at post-mortem and rarely revelatory of the disease. The authors report 4 cases in which echocardiographic detection of characteristic right ventricular involvement led to the confirmation of the diagnosis of carcinoid tumour leading to the secondary diagnosis of the primary carcinoid tumour. The clinical, physiopathological echocardiographic and therapeutic characteristics of this condition are discussed.