Carcinoid constrictive pericarditis.
A 78 year old man presented with diarrhoea, anorexia, and progressive lower limb oedema. He was in atrial fibrillation and had a right pleural effusion and ascites. Ultrasound of the abdomen and 24 hour urinary hydroxyindoleacetic acid output indicated metastatic carcinoid syndrome. Cardiac catheterisation revealed pericardial constriction, and pericardial exploration showed a greatly thickened pericardium with no evidence of tumour invasion. The patient died within 24 hours of surgery. Necropsy findings were consistent with a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis secondary to metastatic carcinoid syndrome.
Johnston
S D
SD
Department of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Science, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6TJ, UK. sjohnston@potblack.thegap.com
Johnston
P W
PW
O'Rourke
D
D
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008303:Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology