10-YEAR REVIEW OF CARDIAC TUMORS IN CHILDHOOD

Objective-To review the commonest types of cardiac tumours in childhoo d, their different presentations, and management. Design-A retrospecti ve study of patients with cardiac tumours. Setting-Cardiac department of a teaching hospital. Patients-Six patients with an age range betwee n one day to three years presented over a period of 10 years. Main out come measures-To determine different presentations, management, and pr ognosis of cardiac tumours. Results-Three patients presented with an a rrhythmia, two with an asymptomatic heart murmur, and the sixth was di scovered accidentally. Surgical resection of the tumours was performed in five cases, one patient died during the operation, one developed n ew tumours after surgery, and the remaining three have had an excellen t result. Histology of those operated on showed benign rhabdomyomas in three and fibromas in the other two. The sixth patient was managed co nservatively and the multiple tumours he had showed gradual resolution over a period of 10 months follow up. One baby with rhabdomyoma had s igns of tuberous sclerosis whereas the others were normal at follow up five months to three years after diagnosis, None of them had a positi ve family history. Conclusion-Cardiac tumours in childhood are extreme ly rare. The commonest types are rhabdomyomas, then fibromas. Most cas es are diagnosed by echocardiography. The prognosis for most patients is excellent.