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Infographics: Cardiac Tumors in Adults

Cardiac Tumors in Adults

This infographic outlines key aspects of cardiac tumors in adults, focusing on their epidemiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Epidemiology

  • Most cardiac masses are either thrombi/vegetation or neoplastic masses.
  • Metastatic tumors are more than 20 times more common than primary cardiac tumors (PCT).
  • Primary Cardiac Tumors (PCT) occur in about 0.01–0.3% of cases, with:
  • 90% being benign
  • 9% malignant
  • 1% intermediate

Presentation

  • Cardiac tumors are often found incidentally.
  • Symptomatic cases may present with:
  • Embolic events (e.g., stroke)
  • Flow obstruction (e.g., syncope)
  • Arrhythmias (e.g., palpitations)
  • Constitutional symptoms (e.g., fatigue, weight loss)

Diagnosis

  • Diagnosis typically involves multimodal imaging (e.g., TTE, TEE, cardiac CT, CMR).
  • Endomyocardial biopsy is not always needed but can guide management.
  • Malignant PCT features include rapid growth, local invasion, and multi-chamber involvement.

Primary Cardiac Tumors

Malignant PCT (9%)

  • Sarcomas (65%):
  • Most common malignant PCT, often presenting as angiosarcoma.
  • Early metastasis with poor prognosis.
  • Primary Cardiac Lymphoma (27%):
  • Seen in immunocompromised patients, often aggressive with R-heart involvement.

Benign PCT (90%)

  • Myxomas (50%):
  • Most common PCT, typically in older females.
  • May cause recurrent embolic events.
  • Papillary Fibroelastomas (12%):
  • Located on left-sided valves, occasionally causing embolic events.

Created by Dr. Ronaldo C. F. Fernandes
Edited by Dr. Gurleen Kaur
Reviewed by Dr. Dinu Balanescu and Dr. Teodora Donisan

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