title: [Carcinoid tumors: echocardiographic contribution to the diagnosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carcinoid tumors are rare, most commonly originating from the neuroendocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Carcinoid syndrome is characterized by flushing, diarrhea, and bronchospasm. Half of these patients have carcinoid heart disease, affecting the right side of the heart, causing tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation and stenosis and subsequently right heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  73-year-old female was admitted with heart failure associated with episodes of diarrhea and flushing. The echocardiogram showed typical characteristics of carcinoid heart diasease. The CT scan of abdomen showed a small bowel mass. The 24-hour urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) and indium-111-pentetreotide scintigraphy confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was treated with furosemide, warfarine, digoxin and octreotide and there was clinical improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The echocardiogram was very useful, establishing the provisory diagnosis of a rare disease based on pathognomonic echocardiographic features.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal EPE, Setúbal, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amador
authors.forename: Lígia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: José Ferreira
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seixo
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parreira
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002275:Carcinoid Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014463:Ultrasonography