[Diagnostic value of echocardiography for cardiac tumors in infancy and childhood].

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the clinical manifestations, surgical findings, pathologic types and treatment of cardiac tumor and to analyze the echocardiographic characteristics of the cases.

Methods: Records of 19 patients with cardiac tumors confirmed by operations and pathology at Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital in Beijing, China between Jan, 1983 and Dec, 2003 were reviewed. Clinical and echocardiographic data of all patients were analyzed.

Results: The median age of patients was 7 +/- 5 years, ranging from 5 months to 14 years. There were 8 male and 11 female cases. The surgical findings revealed that 57.9% (11 cases) of cardiac tumors were found in left heart, 36.8% (7 cases) in right heart, 5.3% (1 case) in two ventricles. The pathological study revealed that 17 cases (89.5%) were diagnosed as primary cardiac benign tumors including myxoma in 10 cases (52.6%), rhabdomyoma in 4 cases (21.1%), fibroma in 2 cases (10.5%) and lipoma in 1 case (5.3%). Two cases were diagnosed (10.5%) as cardiac malignant tumors including a primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma and a metastatic epithelioid sarcoma. By using echocardiography 11 cases were diagnosed as myxomas and rhabdomyoma (11/19, 57.9%), 8 cases were diagnosed as space occupying lesions of the heart or myxoma (8/19, 42.1%).

Conclusions: Myxomas are the most common heart tumors seen in infancy and childhood, followed in frequency by rhabdomyomas, fibromas and lipomas. Surgery is recommended for patients with refractory and severe clinical symptoms.