[Epidemiology of cardiac tumors in adults in Lebanon].
Primary cardiac tumors are rare but potentially fatal. No studies have discussed this issue yet on the national level. We describe the epidemiology of cardiac tumors in adults in Lebanon. The data were taken from the hospitals, the patients and/or their doctors by means of a questionnaire. Fifty-seven cases of cardiac tumors were found, mainly myxomas in the left atrium. Dyspnea was the most frequent symptom. Transthoracic echocardiography was the main diagnostic tool. Transesophageal echocardiography was inconstantly made, scanner and MRI rarely while contrast echocardiography has never been used. Almost half of the patients had a follow-up and none had a familial screening. The collected data urged us to propose a unique and homogenous strategy for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of cardiac tumors in Lebanon.
Abdel-Massih
Tony
T
Service de Cardiologie, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Faculté de Médecine, Université Saint-Joseph, Beyrouth, Liban. tamassih@hotmail.com
Sarkis
Antoine
A
Karam
Nicole
N
Allawi
Abdallah
A
Arnaout
Samir
S
Rachoin
Rachoin
R
Abou-Jaoudé
Simon
S
Azar
Rabih
R
Kassab
Roland
R
D004452:Echocardiography; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires