Clinical analysis and surgical results of cardiac myxoma in pediatric patients.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac myxoma, the most common primary tumor in the adult, is less often encountered in infants and children. We reviewed our series of children with cardiac myxoma over a 22-year period and present the long-term results of surgical resection of the tumor.


METHODS
From January 1985 to December 2006, 15 children between the ages of 5 months and 14 years (mean age, 6.5 years) with cardiac myxoma were reviewed. Follow-up information from every patient was obtained from outpatient records and direct patient contact.


RESULTS
Cardiac signs appeared in 86.7% of the patients. Most myxomas originated from the left atrium. There was no operative death. No patients were lost to follow-up, and the mean follow-up was 9.6 years. There were no late deaths during the follow-up. To date, 13 of 15 operative survivors were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I without medication and the other 2 were in class II. All patients demonstrated sinus rhythm and no child required reexcision of tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
Our clinical experience showed surgical resection was a safe and effective treatment for cardiac myxoma in pediatric patients and the risk of recurrence was low during the long term follow-up.
Wu
Kai Hong
KH
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nanjing Children's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. pumcwu@yahoo.com.cn
Mo
Xu Ming
XM
Liu
Ying Long
YL
D000293:Adolescent; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007223:Infant; D009232:Myxoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome