[Left valvular involvement in carcinoid: description of a case]

Right-sided valvular heart disease is a common complication of metastatic carcinoid tumors. On the contrary, left valve involvement is a rare finding. In our report we describe a patient in whom the subsequent involvement of right and left heart valves was documented by 2D and Doppler echocardiography. The patient was a 46-year-old woman who, in the last three years, complained of face flushing, postprandial diarrhea and shooting epigastric pain lasting for hours. She came at our observation for increasing dyspnoea, peripheral edemas and asthenia. 2D-echocardiography and Color Doppler revealed a severe tricuspid regurgitation and a turbulent blood flow across the pulmonary valve. An Angiographic examination confirmed the severe tricuspidal regurgitation and disclosed a mild pulmonary stenosis. These findings were associated with high 5 hydroxyndole acetic acid (5-HIAA) urinary excretion and the presence of a liver metastasizing ileal carcinoid tumor. Some months later, a new 2D echo-Doppler examination showed thickening and reduced motion of the posterior mitral leaflet, associated with regurgitation and an aortic insufficiency without evident structural valvular abnormalities. Even if carefully investigated no right-to-left shunt was found.