Cardiac Path 3 (cardiac tumors)

Question 1

Are primary cardiac tumors common?

Answer 1

They are rare

Question 2

Are cardiac tumors usually benign or malignant?

Answer 2

They are usually benign and are pedunculated, (they have a stalk for easy remova)

Question 3

What are the 3 types of cardiac tumors?

Answer 3

1. Cardiac Myxomas (Adults)
2. Rhabdomyomas (Kids)
3. Metastatic Tumors

Question 4

What is the most common primary cardiac tumor (35-50%)?

Answer 4

Cardiac Myxomas

Question 5

Which primary cardiac tumor?

Most arise from the left atrium (75%), although they can occur in any chamber of the heart or on a valve.

Answer 5

Cardiac Myxomas

Question 6

Which primary cardiac tumor?

• glistening, gelatinous, polypoid mass, usually 5-6 cms, with a short stalk
• Sometimes the tumor is sufficiently mobile as to obstruct the mitral valve orifice.

Answer 6

Cardiac myxoma

Question 7

> 1/2 of the patients with cardiac myxomas of the left atrium have clinical evidence of __________

Answer 7

mitral valve dysfunction

Question 8

1/3 of these pts with a cardiac myxoma of the left atrium or left ventricle die of what?

Answer 8

embolization of the tumor to the brain

Question 9

Is surgical removal of cardiac myxomas usually successful?

Answer 9

Yes. surgical removal is successful in most cases

Question 10

What is the most common primary cardiac tumor in infants and children and forms nodular masses in the myocardium.

Answer 10

Rhabdomyomas

Question 11

Which primary cardiac tumor?

• Almost all are multiple
• involve both the left and right ventricles, and in 1/3 of cases, the atria as well.
• In 1/2 of cases, the tumor mass projects into the cardiac chamber.

Answer 11

Rhabdomyoma

Question 12

Which primary cardiac tumor?

Grossly they are pale gray masses, up to several centimeters

Answer 12

Rhabdomyomas

Question 13

Which cancers metastasize to the heart most often?

Answer 13

1. Most common: Derived from cancers of the lungs, breast, and GI tract.
2. Lymphomas and Leukemias may also involve the heart, as does Malignant Melanomas.

Question 14

Metastatic cancers of the myocardium can result in manifestations of ____________.

Answer 14

restrictive cardiomyopathy