Carcinoid constrictive pericarditis
- aDepartment of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Science, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6TJ, UK, bDepartment of Cardiology, Royal Victoria Hospital, cDepartment of Pathology, Royal Victoria Hospital
- Dr S D Johnston email:sjohnston{at}potblack.thegap.com
- Accepted 2 June 1999
Abstract
A 78 year old man presented with diarrhoea, anorexia, and progressive lower limb oedema. He was in atrial fibrillation and had a right pleural effusion and ascites. Ultrasound of the abdomen and 24 hour urinary hydroxyindoleacetic acid output indicated metastatic carcinoid syndrome. Cardiac catheterisation revealed pericardial constriction, and pericardial exploration showed a greatly thickened pericardium with no evidence of tumour invasion. The patient died within 24 hours of surgery. Necropsy findings were consistent with a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis secondary to metastatic carcinoid syndrome.
