[Cardiac rhabdomyoma in the adult. Echocardiographic diagnosis and successful surgical treatment].
Cardiac rhabdomyoma is a rare tumour (190 cases in the literature). Since the first operation, in 1959, the tumour has been removed in about 30 patients. Our case is the first cardiac rhabdomyoma diagnosed in live adults. The patient was a 59-year old woman without any significant history. Echocardiography showed a single tumour in the right atrium. A tentative diagnosis of myxoma was made and the patient was operated upon. At pathology, the tumour turned out to be a rhabdomyoma. After a 2.5-year follow-up period, the patient remains asymptomatic. Cardiac rhabdomyoma almost exclusively occurs in children. Only six adult cases have been published, all diagnosed at autopsy. Cardiac symptoms are either those of a valve disease or arrhythmias. Treatment is surgical for single tumours. Multiple rhabdomyomas are associated with Bourneville's disease (tuberous sclerosis) in 50 p. 100 of the cases, which entails a sombre prognosis. In our patient, the presence of a single tumour at the age of 59 without any sign of tuberous sclerosis and the fact that the tumour could be entirely removed were factors of favourable prognosis.
D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012207:Rhabdomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
Rhabdomyome cardiaque de l'adulte. Diagnostic échocardiographique et succès opératoire.