Title:Cardiac Tumors: Clinical Perspective and Therapeutic Considerations
Volume: 18
Issue: 15
Author(s): Dylan Y. Ren, Nathan D. Fuller, Sara A.B. Gilbert and Yingmei Zhang*
Affiliation:
- Center for Cardiovascular Research and Alternative Medicine, University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences, Laramie, WY 82071,United States
Keywords:
Heart, tumors, therapeutics, benign, malignant, pathogenesis.
Abstract: Background: Cardiac tumors rare cardiac disorders with an overall incidence rate < 0.33%.
Cardiac tumors can be classified as primary or secondary depending on the origins of tumors. Primary
cardiac tumors (5% incidence) are rare compared with the secondary (95%, metastases of the heart)
cardiac tumors.
Objective: Given that cardiac tumors exhibit some nonspecific symptoms compared with other heart
diseases, clinical diagnosis of cardiac tumors is rather challenging. Thus we will try to review the classification
and pathogenesis of cardiac tumors.
Conclusion: Current evidence revealed that 75% of cardiac tumors are considered benign (myxoma,
fibromas, lipomas, rhabdomyomas, hemangiomas, teratomas, papillary fibroelastomas, pericardial
cysts or cystic tumor of atrioventricular node). Clinical differential diagnosis of cardiac tumors is
mainly based on imaging techniques including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms,
computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs). This mini-review tries to
summarize recent understanding of the pathogenesis and therapeutics of cardiac tumors.
