Surgically treated cardiac masses — a single-centre experience

Abstract

Introduction. Cardiac masses may be of neoplastic or non-neoplastic nature. The most common benign primary cardiac tumour is myxoma, and the most common malignant tumour is sarcoma. Metastatic tumours are more prevalent than primary cardiac tumours. Surgical excision of the cardiac mass is the treatment of choice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of specific types of cardiac masses and their effect on outcomes in surgically treated patients with cardiac masses.

Material and methods. We studied all patients treated at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Świętokrzyskie Cardiology Centre in Kielce, with the echocardiographic diagnosis of a cardiac mass who were operated in 2008–2014.

Results. Our study group included 19 patients aged 25 to 80 years (mean age 60.8 years). Based on histologic evaluation of the resected mass, myxoma was diagnosed in 13 patients (68.4%), thrombus in 4 patients (21.1%), lipoma in one patient (5.3%), and metastatic right adrenal tumour in one patient (5.3%). The mass was most commonly located in the left atrium (n = 13, 68.4%), followed by the left ventricle and right atrium (n = 2 each, 10.5%), and the right ventricle and both atria (n = 1 each, 5.3%). Three patients (16%) died in the early postoperative period, and all 16 patients who were discharged from the Department of Cardiac Surgery were alive at long-term follow-up (mean 2.5 years).

Conclusions. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice in patients with cardiac masses, except for those in whom the tumour is a manifestation of an advanced neoplastic disease. Long-term outcomes in patients operated due to a cardiac mass are favourable.