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Clinical Presentation: Most patients with ovarian carcinoid are peri- or postmenopausal. The median age at diagnosis is 53 years. Many cases are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. Others cause symptoms related to a pelvic mass or produce ascites. One-third of cases develop carcinoid syndrome, even in the absence of liver metastases. This occurs more commonly in older patients with large tumors (> 7 cm in size) and insular morphology.
The symptom complex of carcinoid syndrome includes diarrhea, vasomotor changes (flushing, erythema, cyanosis), dyspnea, hypertension, and carcinoid heart syndrome (characterized by tricuspid and/or pulmonary valve dysfunction and right-sided heart failure). Some patients develop severe constipation due to secretion of polypeptide YY by the tumor. Urine 5-HIAA levels are often elevated. Rare ovarian carcinoids occur in the setting of MEN type 1.
The symptom complex of carcinoid syndrome includes diarrhea, vasomotor changes (flushing, erythema, cyanosis), dyspnea, hypertension, and carcinoid heart syndrome (characterized by tricuspid and/or pulmonary valve dysfunction and right-sided heart failure). Some patients develop severe constipation due to secretion of polypeptide YY by the tumor. Urine 5-HIAA levels are often elevated. Rare ovarian carcinoids occur in the setting of MEN type 1.