title: Malignant clinical behavior of cardiac myxomas and "myxoid imitators".
abstract: The clinical experience with cardiac myxomas and "myxoid imitators" at the Humana Heart Institute International is reviewed and contrasted with a comprehensive review of the world literature. Twenty-two patients with primary cardiac tumors have been treated at our institution. Three (13.6%) of them had myxoid imitators, and 19 had classic myxomas. One of the 19 patients with a classic myxoma had recurrence on two occasions (recurrence rate, 5.3%). The cases of 57 patients from the world literature are reviewed. Recurrence and/or metastases (including formation of mycotic aneurysm) occurred in approximately 50% of these patients. The overall mortality in these patients was 47%. This review provides documentation of the malignant clinical behavior of cardiac myxomas and myxoid imitators. Neither local recurrence nor regrowth of the tumor in a new location, whether intracardiac or extracardiac, can be predicted from the microscopic appearance of the primary tumor. Resection of the myxoma with a wide margin is the recommended surgical procedure but does not ensure a cure. Therefore, long-term follow-up is mandatory.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Attum
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Masri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Girardet
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lansing
mesh_terms: D005350:Fibroma / Q000473:pathology; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009232:Myxoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D009236:Myxosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*