[Heart tumors in adults]

Together with an overview of classification and incidence of cardiac tumors, author presents 31 cases of cardiac tumors diagnosed in adults by echocardiography during the last 15 years. Out of 24 myxoma cases 3 had an atypical echocardiographic appearance (small or non-prolapsing tumors) and there were 8 complex myxomas: it was multicentric in 3, localised outside the left atrium in 1, familiar in 1, it occurred below 40 years age in 1 and it was associated with an extracardiac tumor in 2 cases. There was no recurrence of the myxoma in any of the 20 survivors during the 5-6 year echocardiographic follow-up, other primary benign tumor was found in 1 patient, primary malignant tumors in 2 cases, secondary malignant tumors of the heart occurred in 4 cases. There were two unique cases: the primary mesothelioma of the pericardium and the rhabdomyosarcoma of the mitral valve.