OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME (OSAS) AS A COMPLICATION OF CARCINOID-SYNDROME TREATED SUCCESSFULLY BY HEPATIC-ARTERY EMBOLIZATION

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) appears to be an extremely ra re complication of carcinoid syndrome and has not yet been reported in the literature. We describe a 75-year-old patient with a history of b ronchial carcinoid who besides typical carcinoid syndrome symptoms dev eloped sleep disturbance and day lethargy caused by massive facial and nasal tissue oedema. Sleep apnoea was confirmed by sleep study. Abdom inal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan showed the presence of multiple liver metastases. Because the patient did not respond to o ctreotide therapy, embolization of the hepatic artery was performed. A fter this procedure we observed dramatic improvement of the patient's life quality, and rapid disappearance of facial swelling and sleep apn oea symptoms. We conclude that hepatic artery embolization appeared to be an effective method of abolishing obstructive sleep apnoea associa ted with carcinoid syndrome.