[Clinicopathologic studies of 11 cases of primary cardiac valve tumors].
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinicopathologic features of primary cardiac valve tumors.


METHODS
Eleven cases of primary valve tumors collected from Fuwai Hospital during the period from 1983 to 2005 were enrolled into the study. The tumors were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Weigert-Van Gieson stain. Immunohistochemistry was also carried out in selected examples.


RESULTS
Primary cardiac valve tumors were uncommon and accounted for only 3% (11/426) of all primary cardiac tumors. Most of them (10/11) were benign and malignancy was rarely encountered (1/11). The tumor subtypes included papillary fibroelastoma (4/11), cavernous hemangioma (4/11), glomus tumor (1/11), angiosarcoma (1/11) and hamartoma (1/11). Of the 11 tumors studied, 4 involved the tricuspid valve, 4 involved the mitral valve, 2 involved the pulmonary valve and 1 involved the aortic valve. The diagnosis was established by preoperative echocardiography in 7 patients. The remaining 4 cases were either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative diagnosis of primary cardiac valve tumors can be difficult due to lack of detailed information related to this group of lesions. Although benign cardiac valve tumors carry a good prognosis, the clinical outcome may be disastrous as a result of hemodynamic disturbances. Intraoperative frozen section examination is advisable for guiding proper surgical management.
Li
Li
L
Department of Pathology, Cardiovascular Institute, Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100037, China.
Wang
Hong-yue
HY
Zhao
Hong
H
Ruan
Ying-mao
YM
Lü
Feng-ying
FY
Wang
Qing-zhi
QZ
Meng
Ying
Y
Liu
Lei
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity