title: Primary cardiac myxomas: report of 28 cases and review the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although primary cardiac tumors are rare, cardiac myxoma is the most common seen intracardiac tumor. This study summarizes our surgical experience with cardiac myxomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight cases of cardiac myxoma that were surgically treated in our center between January 1990 and March 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. In all patients the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification was used to assess the functional status, and C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were measured before and after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients were female and 9 male. The mean age was 53.3 ± 12.7 years (range 4-73). The most common symptom was dyspnea (86%). Two patients presented with peripheral embolism. In preoperative assessment of functional status, 24 of the patients were in NYHA Class II, 2 of them were in Class I and the other 2 patients were in Class III. All patients were in NYHA class I in the early postoperative period up to long-term follow up. The mean preoperative CRP and ESR levels were 47.3 ± 14.6 mg/l (range 30-79) and 52.8 ± 21.4 mm/h (range 28-82), respectively. One month after surgery, CRP and ESR levels returned back to normal values. Postoperative CRP and ESR levels were 8.4 ± 2.6 mg/l (range 1-12) and 7.9 ± 4.8 mm/h (range 3-18), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myxomas should be considered in all patients with embolism. After surgical resection of cardiac myxomas, the functional status of patients improve and CRP and ESR levels become normal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Selcuk University, Meran Medical School, Konya.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Durgut
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Onoglu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gormus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein