Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Echo in cardiac tumors and masses
Introduction
Associate Editor: Ranjan Ray
Overview of Cardiac Tumors
Benign Tumors
Benign Tumors
Cardiac myxomas
Frequency: 30% of benign tumors
Location: left atrium (75%), right atrium (23%), ventricles (2%)
presentation: intracardic obstruction, embolization, constitutional symptoms (fever, weight loss, fatigue, arthralgias, rash)
Preferred imaging modality: 2D echo- TTE is adequate
{{#ev:youtube|SD2LrK1mdic}} LA myxoma
Lipomas
Frequency: 10% of benign tumors
Location: Left ventricle, right atrium, interarterial septum
size: 1-15cm
Preferred imaging modality: MRI
Rhabdomyomas
Frequency: 6% of benign cardiac tumors
Location: ventricles and atria (pedunculated mass), within septal myocardium
presentation: heart block, SVT, ventricular tachycardia, sudden death
demographic: 75% occur in children (<1 yo)
Fibromas
Location: usually within the myocardium of the left ventricle, anterior free wall, interventricular septum
size: 3-10cm
presentation:
demographic: rarely in adults, mostly in children
Papillary fibroelastoma
Frequency: 8% of benign tumors
Size: 0.5 – 2.0 cm
Location: mitral valve (most commonly), aortic valce, endocardial surfaces
Demographic: 60 yo (average age)
Presentation: embolization
Hemangiomas
Malignant Tumors
Malignant Tumors
Angiosarcoma
Frequency: 30% of malignant cardiac tumors
Leiomyosarcoma
Rhabdomycosarcoma
Frequency: 10% of primary cardiac sarcoma. Most common cardiac tumor in children
Lymphoma
Fequency: 5% of primary malignant cardiac tumors
Metastasis
Editor-In-Chief:
C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]