[Symptomatic relief of carcinoid syndrome by ketanserin. A case]

The carcinoid syndrome is a rare clinical entity mainly characterized by flushing and diarrhoea. It is due to different biological mediators produced by tumours that arise from enterochromaffin cells. Such tumours are typically located in the ileum, have a long course and become symptomatic only in the presence of overt liver metastases. Among the involved mediators, the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been ascertained in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea, while it remains controversial in that of flushing. Ketanserin is a 5HT-2 antagonist with no mixed receptor agonist-antagonist activity. We report the case of a severely distressing carcinoid syndrome fully dominated by ketanserin. The patient was a 75-year-old man, who came to our attention because of marked weight loss, impossibility to feed and almost continuous diarrhoea due to liver colonization of a mid ileum carcinoid tumour, previously resected at the age of 65. Sustained facial and trunk flushing also presented several times daily. Ketanserin, 20 mg twice a day orally, was administered and then increased up to 40 mg daily with no side effects and progressive complete control of both diarrhoea and flushing. It is suggested that ketanserin, due to its availability and tolerability, should first be considered for palliative relief of carcinoid syndrome. The literature on this subject is extensively reviewed.