title: [Frequency of heart tumors and their histopathological correlation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The presentation of heart tumors is very uncommon. Eighty percent of primary heart neoplasias are benign, and myxomas represent the first cause in frequency among adult populations. Due to the frequency of presentation of these tumors, it is common to make the clinical/surgical diagnosis without obtaining histopathologic confirmation. Our objective was to determine the frequency of presentation of heart tumors and its correlation between the surgical/clinical and histopathologic diagnosis in our Institute.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case series with 16 patients with cardiac tumors treated surgically at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery during a 4-year period. We used descriptive statistics, and quantitative variables are expressed as mean, range and standard deviation whereas qualitative variables were described as proportions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 3 men (19%) and 13 women (81%) with a mean age of 41.4 +/- 16.2 years. Clinical presentation was predominantly of congestive heart failure. Clinical diagnosis was determined in 15 patients (94%) and just one case of intracardiac thrombus (6%), whereas the histopathologic diagnosis reported myxoma in only 11 cases (68.8%), three patients with intra-cardiac thrombus (18.7%) and two patients with sarcomas (12.5%), leiomiosarcoma and angiosarcoma, respectively. We found a positive correlation between the clinical diagnosis and the histopathology results. There was no mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though myxomas represent the most frequent proportion of presentation in heart tumors, histopathological confirmation is necessary for diagnosis. Clinical and histopathologic correlation represents the basis for the choice of adequate management strategies and prognosis for the patient.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Cariotorácica, Hosptial de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Insituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villalpando-Mendoza
authors.forename: Francisco Manuel
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pérez
authors.forename: Ana Olivia
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Cortés-Flores
authors.forename: Gabriela Abigail
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Velázquez-Ramírez
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Orozco
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Ojeda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged