Flushing patient

A common presentation in primary care. a sensation of warmth accompanied by visible reddening of the skin

increased cutaneous blood flow due to transient vasodilatation

mostly affects the face but may also involve neck , ears , chest , epigastrium , arms

most cases are benign but it is important to be aware of the potentially life threatening conditions that may cause the patient to experience flushing

epidemiological data is hard to obtain

about 80 % of post-menopausal women experience hot flushes

65 % of men receiving treatment for prostate cancer ( medical or surgical castration ) would experience flushing

flushing can also be manifestation of carcinoid syndrome in 20 % to 30 % of patients with midgut neuroendocrine tumours ( NET's )

carcinoid tumours ( rare tumours ) are neuroendocrine tumours that derive from a primitive stem cell and can differentiate into a variety of adult endocrine secreting cells -can produce a variety of peptides , hormones and neurotransmitters

most NE tumors arise in the GI tract ( 70 % ) followed by respiratory tract

patients with carcinoid tumors may be asymptomatic or present with vague GI complaints

Carcinoid Sndrome ( CS ) are a group of symptoms which...