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Rare operations in pediatric heart surgery: Cardiac tumors in childhood
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children?s Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
This 12-year study reviewed pediatric cardiac tumors, finding most were benign. Surgical removal of these primary cardiac tumors in children offered good long-term outcomes despite early postoperative mortality.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
- Pediatric Oncology
Background:
- This study details a 12-year surgical experience with primary cardiac tumors in children.
- Primary cardiac tumors in childhood are rare but can present significant challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the surgical treatment outcomes for primary cardiac tumors in pediatric patients.
- To analyze the types and management of cardiac tumors in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 13 pediatric patients (3 days to 6 years) operated on between 2005 and 2017.
- Data collected from medical records, focusing on tumor type, surgical intervention, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- All resected masses were benign, with rhabdomyoma being the most common (n=7).
- Other tumors included fibroma (n=3), myxoma (n=2), and pericardial teratoma (n=1).
- A 15.4% mortality rate was observed due to early postoperative deaths; however, no residual tumor or recurrence was noted in survivors.
Conclusions:
- Primary cardiac tumors in children are typically benign but can cause significant issues based on location and size.
- Surgical excision of pediatric cardiac tumors generally leads to favorable long-term results.
Background:
In this study, we present our 12-year experience in the surgical treatment of primary cardiac tumors in childhood.
Methods:
Thirteen pediatric patients (8 males, 5 females; mean age 1.3±1.9 years; range, 3 days to 6 years) who were operated for a primary cardiac tumor in our center between January 2005 and December 2017 were included in this study. The data were evaluated retrospectively based on our medical records.
Results:
All of the masses resected were benign. However, the most common tumor was rhabdomyoma (n=7), followed by fibroma (n=3), myxoma (n=2), and pericardial teratoma (n=1). The mortality rate was 15.4%, as two patients died in the early postoperative period. No residual mass or tumor recurrence was observed in the early and late postoperative period in the remaining patients.
Conclusion:
Although primary cardiac tumors in childhood are usually benign, they may cause clinically significant problems depending on the localization and size of the tumor. Surgical tumor excision is often associated with good long-term outcomes.
