The purpose of this study was to review the current clinical experience and pathological characteristics of cardiac tumors. We retrospectively reviewed 33,108 consecutive cases of cardiac operations performed at our institution from October 1996 to March 2005. There were 242 cases confirmed histologically as cardiac tumors. Among them, 234 patients were diagnosed with primary heart tumors, revealing a prevalence of 0.71% among the corresponding period cardiac operations. Of primary cardiac tumors, the incidence of benign neoplasm was much higher than malignant masses (90.6% vs. 9.4%, P<0.01). The most common benign cardiac tumor was myxoma (86.8%). Mesenchymoma and angiosarcoma were the most common primary malignant cardiac tumors. The prevalence rates of cardiac tumors were quite different among age groups. Rhabdomyoma and fibroma are prone to children. The number of female patients with myxoma was higher than that in male (P<0.01). Myxomas have a special predilection for the left atrium (93.5%). Benign non-myxoma tumors are more likely to occur in the ventricular (64.3%). The primary malignant tumors have a tendency to be of multi-center origination (23%). All the secondary cardiac tumors were located in the right side of the heart. This study, using a relatively large sample, reveals the clinical incidences and pathological characteristics of various cardiac tumors in the Chinese population.

Cardiac rhabdomyoma presenting as left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in a neonate.Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2003 Dec;2(4):572-4.

A case of congenital cardiac rhabdomyoma presenting as left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is reported. Congenital cardiac tumours are rare. Rhabdomyomas are the most common. Fifty-one to 86% of them are associated with tuberous sclerosis. They have a tendency for spontaneous regression. The indications for surgery include haemodynamic compromise and intractable arrhythmias.

Fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma: a sheep or a wolf? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2007 Apr;20(4):343-8.

Rhabdomyoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor identified in utero and in infancy. Usually it has a benign course, which has prompted an expectant approach to its management. We report herein the cases of three patients who presented prenatally with cardiac rhabdomyomas. Only one of them had a benign course. The other two patients provided recognizable characteristics of rhabdomyomas with an unfavorable course and demonstrated that fetal rhabdomyomas can have a fatal outcome.