Carcinoid Crisis: A Dangerous Complication of Invasive Procedures

Carcinoid crisis is an uncommon dangerous situation that arises from a sudden over-release of hormones from your tumors, causing intense flushing, wheezing, and dangerous fluctuations in blood pressure. It is different from the excess hormone release that causes carcinoid syndrome, and even if your tumors are non-functioning, you are at risk. Surgical or dental procedures require anesthetics and can involve severe stress to the body, both of which are known causes of crisis. Always reduce this risk by informing your doctor or dentist of your situation prior to surgery or dental procedures. The swift administration of octreotide and/or other medications (held on standby during procedures) can treat this crisis should it occur. Octreotide can also be administered preventively during invasive treatments to avoid this complication.