[Quantitative analysis of DNA using flow cytometry and immunocytochemical findings in 16 cases of cardiac myxomas]

Recently some Authors focused nosological and biological aspects of the cardiac mixomas. Their neoplastic nature and origin from undifferentiated mesencymal cell with multipotential capability have been confirmed. Morphological and immunocytochemical aspects alone are not able to screen "sporadic" from "non-sporadic" mixomas. The last are associated with local recurrence and distant embolization. "Non-sporadic" mixomas are also part of a heritable syndrome involving skin, endocrine tumors and lentiginosis. It seems that this kind of mixomas display a DNA tetrapoid pattern at DNA flow cytometry. In the series of the Authors, consisting of 16 operative mixomas, all but one showed a DNA diploid pattern. Only in one case the pattern was tetraploid.