Carcinoid crisis with fatal coronary spasm in a small localized peripheral bronchial carcinoid

Abstract

Presumptive coronary artery spasm, with characteristic ST-segment elevation followed by ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, is a very uncommon manifestation of the carcinoid crisis and has been shown on angiography only once in a patient with co-existing extensive atheromatous disease. We present the history of a 70-year-old man with angiographically documented fatal diffuse coronary spasm in the absence of significant atheromatosis, related to an unprovoked carcinoid crisis caused by a small peripheral atypical carcinoid tumour in the absence of metastasis.

• Carcinoid tumour
• carcinoid crisis
• coronary vasospasm
• Prinzmetal angina
• serotonin