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Hemangiomas of the heart. A clinicopathologic study of ten cases
A Burke1, J P Johns, R Virmani
1Department of Cardiovascular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.
Insights
Cardiac hemangiomas are rare heart tumors. Presenting symptoms and outcomes vary by tumor location, but surgical resection is often feasible for symptomatic cases.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Pathology
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Cardiac hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors.
- They can present with diverse clinical manifestations depending on their location within the heart.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the clinical and histopathologic features of cardiac hemangiomas.
- To correlate tumor location with presenting symptoms and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 10 patients with cardiac hemangiomas.
- Analysis of clinical presentation, histopathology, tumor location, and treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- Patients ranged from 2 weeks to 65 years (mean 32).
- Tumor locations included ventricles, atria, and atrial septum.
- Presenting symptoms varied, including pericardial effusion, sudden death, shortness of breath, and incidental findings.
- Six tumors in symptomatic patients were successfully resected, with one requiring a graft.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac hemangiomas are typically sporadic and present differently based on location.
- Tumors in the basal ventricular septum may cause arrhythmias or sudden death.
- Surgical resection is a viable treatment option for cardiac hemangiomas in accessible locations.
Abstract:
The clinical and histopathologic features of 10 cardiac hemangiomas are presented. The patients' ages ranged from 2 weeks to 65 years (mean: 32 years). Eight patients had no other cardiovascular abnormalities, one was associated with intra-atrial lipoma, and one was associated with an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery. One patient had other hemangiomas of the oral cavity and small intestine. The tumors presented as pericardial effusion (2), sudden death (2), shortness of breath (1), incidental finding on chest X-ray (1), asymptomatic murmur (1), syncope (1), and incidental finding at autopsy (2). Location of the tumors included the right ventricle (4), left ventricle (3), atrial septum (2), and right atrium (1). All six tumors presenting in life were resected successfully, one requiring placement of a synthetic graft. Cardiac hemangiomas are usually sporadic; presenting symptoms depend on location in the heart; arrhythmias or sudden death can occur if the tumor is present in the basal region of the ventricular septum; surgical resection is feasible in other locations.