Twory w sercu – struktury anatomiczne i struktury patologiczne

Abstract

The increase in the availability of transthoracic echocardiography allows the diagnosis of not only congenital heart defects, which are the most common congenital defects in children, but also detection of cardiac masses such as thrombi, vegetations or heart tumors. Performing transthoracic echocardiography one should remember about normal anatomical structures in the atria and ventricles. The presence of central catheters and intracardiac leads favors the formation of thrombi in the heart. The vegetations which are characteristic for infective endocarditis mostly occur on the aortic and/or mitral valve. Primary cardiac tumors in children are very rare (approximately 0.2% of the population) and are usually oligosymptomatic. About 90% of them are benign tumors. The most common is the rhabdomyoma, which often coexists with tuberous sclerosis. The second most frequent tumor in children is a fibroma. Less common primary tumors in children are: teratomas, hemangiomas, lipomas, papillary fibroelastomas. In the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses comprehensive assessment and analysis of both imaging results, as well as medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests and other additional tests are extremely important.