Flush symptoms caused by a mesenteric carcinoid without liver metastases

Abstract

Flushing is a known symptom in intestinal carcinoid tumors which usually occurs only in the presence of liver metastases. A 62-year-old women presented with abdominal pain, nausea and flush symptoms. US, CT, octreotide scintigraphy and biopsy revealed a primary mesenteric carcinoid with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases and a solitary leftsided supraclavicular lymph node metastasis proving lymphatic spread over the thoracic duct, but liver metastases were excluded. This is a report on a mesenteric carcinoid which lead to flush symptoms despite absence of liver metastases, since retroperitoneal lymph node metastases enabled a direct hormone release into the systemic circulation.