title: Echocardiographic imaging of tricuspid and pulmonary valve abnormalities in primary ovarian carcinoid tumor.
abstract: Carcinoid is a rare malignancy originating from enterochromaffin cells and is clinically characterized by flushing, diarrhea and bronchospasm, due to secretion of vasoactive substances. A dreaded complication is carcinoid heart disease, which mainly affects right cardiac chambers, resulting in thickened, immobile and retracted tricuspid and pulmonary valves. In the current report, a case of a 60-year old female presenting with symptoms of right heart failure is described. Transthoracic two-dimensional and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography findings, as well as biochemical markers, including pro-BNP and NT-pro-BNP, were consistent with carcinoid syndrome. The histological diagnosis of carcinoid was confirmed after surgical resection of an ovarian mass.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece. caggeli@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Constantina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aggeli
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Felekos
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kazazaki
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannopoulos
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kartalis
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pitsavos
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011664:Pulmonary Valve; D014261:Tricuspid Valve; D014741:Video Recording
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