title: Carcinoid heart disease and the utility of 3D trans-thoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiography: Two clinical cases.
abstract: Carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine malignancies. We present two cases of metastatic carcinoid tumors, complicated by carcinoid syndrome and by cardiac valve involvement. Carcinoid syndrome is characterized by secretory diarrhea, episodic flushing, and bronchospasm. Cardiac involvement occurs in up to 50% of patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors which commonly causes abnormalities of the right sided valves. Echocardiography is the best available and non invasive technique for diagnosis. Characteristic features of carcinoid heart disease are thickened, shortened, retracted, and fixed or partially fixed valve leaflets. Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography provided an en face view of pulmonary and tricuspid valve, not obtainable by two-dimensional echocardiography, and improved delineation of the relationship between these structures and cardiac chambers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Member of Cardiovascular Research Center, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad.
authors.forename: Afsoon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fazlinezhad
authors.affiliation: Member of Cardiovascular Research Center, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Students Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Moravvej
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Member of Cardiovascular Research Center, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Member of Preventive Cardiovascular Care Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azari
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Member of Cardiovascular Research Center, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad ; Member of Preventive Cardiovascular Care Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bigdelu
keywords: Carcinoid heart disease; Echocardiography; Pulmonary; Three-dimensional; Tricuspid; Valve