cardiac tumors simplified for medical students

1. CARDIAC
TUMORS
JANE NADER ABOULENEIN, MD

2. TYPES
PRIMARY SECONDARY

3. 1- Primary cardiac tumors:
• MYXOMAS : Most common adult primary tumors
• PAPILLARY FIBROELASTOMAS : Most
common tumor of the cardiac valve
• SARCOMAS : Most common primary malignant
neoplasms in the heart
75%
ARE BENiGN

4. 2- Secondary tumors (metastatic):
o Much more common than primary cardiac tumors
o Most commonly from lung, breast, hematological, melanoma
o Cardiac metastases can arise via:
 Hematogenous dissemination of cancer cells (i.e. melanoma, lymphoma)
 Direct extension via adjacent tissues (i.e. lung)
 Propagation to the RA via SVC and IVC (e.g. from renal cancer)
 Retrograde lymphatic seeding (i.e. breast carcinoma)

5. Myxoma:
● Myxomas are the most common primary cardiac
tumor.
● More than 75% of myxomas originate in the left
atrium.
● Macroscopically, atrial myxomas are often
pedunculated rounded masses and soft in texture.

6. SYMPTOMS AND SiGNS:
1. Obstructive Symptoms (similar to mitral stenosis):
- dyspnea with exertion followed by orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea, and pulmonary edema.
- On physical exam, "tumor plop" may be characteristically heard early in
diastole.
2. Thromboembolic Symptoms: Neurologic defects
3. Constitutional Symptoms: fever, malaise, anorexia,
arthralgia, weight loss

7. IMAGING

8. ECHO

9. ECHO

10. ● Complications: CHF, Arrhythmias, Valvular defects,
Thromboembolic Events and infection
● Treatment: Considering the risk of cardiovascular
complications and embolization, surgical excision is the
treatment of choice for atrial myxomas

11. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, and
includes icons by Flaticon and infographics & images by Freepik
Do you have any questions?
Jane-nader@buc.edu.eg