Carcinoid heart disease – characteristic echocardiographic findings

Fifty percent of patients with florid carcinoid symptoms show signs of cardiac involvement. Majority of these patients present with signs of right heart failure secondary to severe dysfunction of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves due to formation of endocardial plaques of fibrous tissue which results in distortion of the valves leading to either stenosis, regurgitation, or both. Summary: We present images of the typical echocardiographic presentation of the carcinoid heart disease in our 71-years old patient – trabeculation of dilatated right ventricle, thickening, shortening and retraction of the tricuspid val…