Tumors of the Heart

Abstract

Cardiac Tumors are very rare but have devastating consequences given that they involve such an important organ. The majority of tumors are benign myxomas, which can present in very subtle ways causing a subsequent delay in diagnosis. Routine echocardiography is advised for anybody who is feeling generally unwell, since myxomas can cause pyrexia of unknown origin. The use of cardiac imaging has increased the early diagnosis of these tumors. A total of 25% of cardiac tumors are malignant sarcomas and these have a highly aggressive behavior. Early detection of these tumors while they are resectable offers a possibility for cure in the future.

Keywords:

• angiosarcoma
• cardiac tumor
• fibroma
• hemangioma
• hypertrophy
• lipoma
• lipomatous
• lymphoma
• myxoma
• rhabdomyoma
• rhabdomyosarcoma
• sarcoma
• synovial sarcoma

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Mary N Sheppard is the recipient of a research grant from Charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.