Cardiac Myxoma, a Rare But Most Common Encountered Cardiac Tumor: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiac myxoma is a benign and rare tumor, which can present with a grim phenomenon if the presentation is late or the diagnosis and surgery are delayed. The purpose of this study was to share our institutional experience of cardiac myxoma. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate patients undergoing procedures at a single tertiary care centre for the treatment of cardiac myxoma during January, 2007 to December, 2017. Preoperative diagnosis was made by assessing clinical presentation and doing echocardiography. Complete tumor excision was performed, and all the patients were followed up for recurrence and complications. Results: A total of 45 cases of cardiac myxoma (13 males and 32 females) with the mean age of 37.5 years old (ranged between 16 and 60 years old) were operated over the period of 10 years. Cardiac myxoma constituted about 0.69% of all cardiac cases operated at our institute. Out of all the subjects, 41, 3, and 1 cases had left atrial, right atrial, and right ventricular involvements, respectively. Additionally, 43 patients (95%) survived the surgery, one recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Cardiac myxoma is the most common cardiac tumor account for very small percentage of patients with heart disease. Early clinical suspicion and the use of imaging modalities are key to early diagnosis of this condition. Although these tumors have a risk for severe cardiac and systemic symptoms, referral to experienced centers for prompt surgical resection under cardiopulmonary bypass provides excellent early and long-term results.