title: Carcinoid Heart Disease: A Rare Cause of Right Ventricular Dysfunction Evaluation by Transthoracic 2D, Doppler and 3-D Echocardiography.
abstract: Carcinoid heart disease is a rare cause of heart failure with or without right valvular heart impairments. In this study, we showed a case of carcinoid tumour with hepatic metastases inducing carcinoid heart disease. Neuroendocrine heart involvement happens for severe tricuspid valve insufficiency and plaques on right ventricular (RV) walls produced by a release of serotonin (5-HT). A patient affected by primitive ileal tumour with 5-HT-secernent hepatic metastases inducing tricuspid insufficiency is showed. Transthoracic 2-D echocardiography showed tricuspid valve regurgitation and both right atrium, RV-walls plaques and RV dilation. Continue-wave Doppler showed a characteristic "dagger shaped" spectrum of tricuspid systolic flow. RV function was evaluated with 3-D transthoracic echocardiography. In particular, RV volumes, RV ejection fraction and stroke volume were defined by this technique. 2, 3-D echocardiography and Doppler method are useful techniques to show heart valves' derangements and RV function to non-invasively detect RV impairments in carcinoid heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Geriatry-Second University of Naples (S.U.N.), Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cacciapuoti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agrusta
authors.forename: Gisberta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiorazzo
authors.forename: Arcangelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Midolla
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agrusta
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cacciapuoti