Eleven-year experience in diagnosis and surgical therapy of right atrial masses

Tumors arising from the right atrium are quite rare, and require special care during differential diagnosis for their management. A review of surgical experience with right atrial tumors in 11 patients from our institution has been presented in this article.

Eleven cases, operated for a tumor mass in the right atrium in our institution between January 1993 and December 2004, were retrospectively reviewed for their clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, method of surgical procedure, and histopathologic findings. Electrocardiogram, transthoracic, and transesophageal echocardiography, computerized tomography, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging were available for all patients during the diagnostic evaluation. Surgical procedure notes, photos, and file recordings were reviewed when available. The surgeons were also interviewed when necessary.

Right atrial tumors were diagnosed in 11 patients (6 males and 5 females). The average age of the patients was 34 +/- 11 years (ranging between 21 and 65 years). The histopathological examination of the surgically removed specimen revealed a benign tumor in eight patients (73%), and a malignant process in three (23%). In eight patients with a benign tumor, atrial myxoma was the leading cause in half of the cases. Hydatid cyst (n = 2), lipoma (n = 1), and right atrial thrombus (n = 1) were detected in the remaining four patients. One patient died of heart failure after surgery. The diameters of the excised masses were 2 +/- 0.5 cm versus 7 +/- 1 cm.

Tumors of the right atrium are rarely seen, and necessitate a unique attention during the process of diagnosis and surgical treatment. We present our surgical experience of 11 patients with right atrial mass. The differentiation of the right atrial tumors with the diagnostic tools before surgery, the determination of the spreading, and the structural properties of the mass may designate surgical approach and prognosis.