Cardiac Tumors: Surgical Experience in Thirty-Nine Cases

Over a period of 18 years, 39 cases of cardiac tumors were operated upon in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. These included 34 (87%) patients with benign tumors and 5 (13%) patients with primary malignant tumors. All the benign tumors were myxomas, of which 31 (91.2%) were in the left atrium and 3 (8.8%) in right atrium. Primary malignant tumors comprised 2 rhabdomyosarcomas, 1 angiosarcoma, 1 lymphoma and 1 case of pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The diagnosis was established by echocardiography, angiocardiography and computed tomography. In one case the diagnosis was made at autopsy. All myxomas, except tricuspid valve myxoma, were removed completely through right atrial or biatrial approach with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Four cases of primary malignant tumors were non-resectable. Near total resection of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising from the right middle pulmonary vein and left atrial junction was achieved. There were 2 operative deaths (5.1 %). The follow-up ranged from 3 months to 10 years with a mean of 5.7 years. There was 1 recurrence (2.9%) in the benign group. In the malignant group, 3 cases (60%) died within 5 to 8 months of surgery due to further local and metastatic spread of the tumor. The case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma was treated with postoperative radiotherapy to the right mediastinum and is doing well at follow-up 3 months after surgery.