Cardiac tumors: clinical experience and surgical results in 74 patients

A series of 75 cardiac tumors in 74 patients were operated on at La Pitie Hospital between 1972 and 1989. There were 73 primary and 2 metastatic tumors. Among the benign neoplasms, 58 were myxomas; seven of the nine malignant tumors were primary heart tumors. The mean age of the patients was 48 years (range, 9 to 75 years); 46 patients were female and 28 male. Fifty-seven percent of the patients had congestive heart failure, 13% had chest pain, 17% had neurological symptoms, and only 1 patient was totally asymptomatic. The cardiac tumors were incidental findings in 3 patients. Complete resection was carried out in 66 benign lesions and only four of the malignant tumors. All patients survived operation, although 4 died in the early postoperative period. Long-term results were excellent in patients with benign lesions, and no recurrences were found. In patients with malignant tumors, surgical procedures were only palliative and aimed at prolonging life; hence, prognosis remained unchanged.