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Review
. 2020 Mar 5;12(3):e7186.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.7186.

Carcinoid Syndrome: A Review

Ajay K Gade  1 , Eva Olariu  2 , Nathan T Douthit  3
Affiliations
Review

Carcinoid Syndrome: A Review

Ajay K Gade et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by the release of serotonin and other substances from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The hallmark symptoms of carcinoid syndrome are flushing and diarrhea; atypical signs and symptoms can include wheezing, abdominal pain, valvular heart disease, telangiectasias, pellagra, and the complications of mesenteric fibrosis, including ureteral obstruction, bowel obstruction, and bowel ischemia. These symptoms are mediated by the release of serotonin (5-HT), histamine, kallikrein, prostaglandins, and tachykinins. The diagnosis of CS requires these symptoms and corresponding elevations in lab tests. Treatment options include surgery and medical management with somatostatin analogs.

Keywords: 5-ht; carcinoid; carcinoid syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Histopathology of a neuroendocrine tumor of the small bowel (H&E stain)
The submucosal tumor that infiltrates the muscularis propria's trabecular architecture, with solid nests of cells with fibrous stroma in between; moderate, finely granular cytoplasm, small nucleoli, and stippled chromatin or salt-and-pepper chromatin. (Image credit: Librepathology) H&E: hematoxylin and eosin
Figure 2
Figure 2. Indium-111 octreotide concentrates in the gastrointestinal tract carcinoid tumors as well as in liver metastases.
Case courtesy of Dr. Henry Knipe, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 42873
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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