Carcinoid heart disease: another step into the knowledge of a rare disease

With an incidence of 1/100 000 in the general population, carcinoid tumours are rare neuroendocrine malignancies (NETs). Mostly originating from the enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract, they usually grow slowly over the years, secreting large amounts of vasoactive substances (ie, serotonins such as 5-hydroxytryptamine, tachykinins and prostaglandins). Carcinoid syndromes (CS) occur in 20–30% of patients and are associated with the presence of liver metastases with the consequent release of vasoactive amines into the systemic circulation. At this stage, patients may become symptomatic with cutaneous flushing, gastrointestinal hypermotility and cardiac involvement. Indeed, the most feared complication of CS is surely the development of a carcinoid heart disease (CHD). It has an incidence of 20–35% of patients with CS and generally occurs 2–5 years after the initial diagnosis of CS. However, numbers are expected to grow in the next future.1 2 CHD is characterised by endocardial...
Source: Heart - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorials Source Type: research