Metastatic carcinoid tumor--atypical presentation
Pleşa, A.; Sarca, E.; Maxim, R.
Revista Medico-Chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici Si Naturalisti Din Iasi 118(4): 1018-1023
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 0048-7848 PMID: 25581963 Document Number: 675357
Carcinoid tumor is a slow-growing type of neuroendocrine tumor, originating in the enterochromaffin cells and secreting mainly serotonin. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are found throughout the intestinal tract, the appendix and terminal ileum being the most common locations, and are classified by site of origin and by degree of differentiation, with well-differentiated lesions representing those tumors formerly referred to as carcinoid tumors. The clinical symptoms are characterized by flushing, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and/or bronchial constriction and occur almost exclusively in patients with liver metastases due to the release of bioactive peptides and amines directly into the systemic circulation. We report the clinical, serological and histological diagnosis of a 67-years-old male patient with congestive heart failure secondary to carcinoid heart disease in the context of liver metastases of an ileum carcinoid tumor.