Tumoren des Herzens

Abstract

Tumours of the heart are a rare clinical diagnosis. They produce a great variety of symptoms which may be misleading. Nowadays B-mode echocardiography and MR-imaging facilitate reaching the correct diagnosis early. Most commonly tumours of the heart and pericardium are secondaries resulting from metastatic spread. Usually they occur late in the course of a malignant disease. The development of a recurrent pericardial effusion may require therapeutic interventions. The most common primary tumour of the heart is the myxoma, accounting for 30%. The typical location is the left atrium. Today surgical excision using extra-corporeal circulation is a routine procedure carrying an excellent prognosis. Malignant primary heart tumours comprise about 25% of primary heart tumours diagnosed at autopsy. Their prognosis is poor. Early radical excision combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be curative in selected cases.