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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2005; 53(1): 1-8
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-830389
Original Cardiovascular

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Neoplastic Heart Disease - The Muenster Experience With 108 Patients

A. Hoffmeier1 , C. Schmid1 , S. Deiters1 , G. Drees1 , M. Rothenburger1 , T. D. T. Tjan1 , C. Schmidt2 , A. Löher1 , D. Maintz3 , T. Spieker4 , R. M. Mesters5 , H. H. Scheld1
  • 1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Münster, Germany
  • 2Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care, University Hospital Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Münster, Germany
  • 3Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Münster, Germany
  • 4Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Münster, Germany
  • 5Department of Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Münster, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received May 3, 2004

Publication Date:
03 February 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Background: Tumours of the heart are rare. Different histological subtypes are known. The most common tumour entity is benign cardiac myxoma. Malignant heart tumours are less common. Tumours originating in other organs such as the kidney may also affect the heart by tumour progression via the inferior caval vein. A large experience with surgical treatment of different types of heart tumours is presented. Methods: Between January 1989 and April 2004, 108 patients with a heart tumour were included in a database. All patients underwent radical surgical resection, except for 2 patients who had malignant lymphoma of the heart. Results: Histological findings included 78 myxomas (72.2 %), and 6 other benign cardiac tumours in 5.6 % of the patients. Primary malignant heart tumours were seen in 10 (9.2 %) and renal cell carcinoma with cardiac involvement in 6 (5.6 %) patients. Eight patients presented with tumour metastases inside the heart (7.4 %). Mean overall survival was 12.7 years for myxoma patients and 5.6 years for patients with other benign heart tumours. Patients with primary malignant heart tumours survived 5.5 years on average. Conclusions: Heart tumours are rare, but usually life-threatening. Radical surgical resection is the therapy of choice and may offer excellent long-term survival, even in cases with malignant heart tumours.

Key words

Heart tumour - myxoma - sarcoma - radical resection

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M .D. Andreas Hoffmeier

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
University Hospital

Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 33

48149 Münster

Germany

Phone: + 492518347401

Fax: ++ 49 25 18 34 83 16

Email: andreas.hoffmeier@ukmuenster.de