Variable Presentations of Benign Intra Cardiac Tumours - A Single Institution Study

BACKGROUNDBenign cardiac tumours are a rare entity comprising of only about 0.2% of autopsy series.(1) In general, such tumours that present with a potential for embolization are to be dealt surgically as expeditiously as possible.However, there can be enormous variability in the presentations depending on the location and morphology of the tumour. METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed our experience with benign intracardiac tumours over a period of 3 years at a single center.There were 10 patients, all of whom were managed surgically.Here we discuss the clinical presentations, operative management, operative outcomes, and follow up of this select group of patients.Intracardiac tumours constitute a rare entity of cardiac disease.The presentations of this pathology can be extremely variable.Sometimes detection maybe incidental on routine evaluation and at times they may present with the aftermath of systemic embolization, or rarely causing mechanical obstruction impacting cardiac output and function. RESULTSWe present a spectrum of different benign intracardiac tumours and their variable presentations with their perioperative outcomes in a single institution over a span of three years.There were no perioperative deaths.Perioperative morbidity was restricted to one patient developing low cardiac output and severe mitral insufficiency. CONCLUSIONSThe variability of their presentations and the different surgical approaches to handle each one of them represents to a large extent the entire pathophysiology of benign intracardiac tumours.