Benign cardiac tumors and tumorlike conditions

Benign primary cardiac tumors and tumorlike conditions are rare, yet important surgical and autopsy pathology specimens. Although many of these entities are clinically silent, a few can cause significant morbidity or even sudden death. Some cardiac tumors arise in the setting of genetic disorders. Providing the correct diagnosis for a cardiac mass lesion will aid in patient care and genetic counseling. Therefore, a familiarity of these tumors is essential for both surgical and forensic pathologists. This comprehensive and up-to-date review describes the key clinical, gross, and histologic findings for 16 distinct entities. It also provides differential diagnoses and key facts to differentiate between similar appearing tumors.