Sarcoma associated with silver coated mechanical heart valve prosthesis

Sarcomas can develop in association with foreign material (eg, from Dacron vascular prostheses). We report on a left atrial rhabdomyosarcoma that deve loped within 1 year of mitral valve replacement by a Silzone-coated St. Jud e Medical mechanical heart valve. Tumor resection and redo valve replacemen t were done. Six months later the patient was alive, but an echocardiogram showed tumor recurrence. Although this is a single case, an association bet ween heart valve prostheses and malignant tumors should be considered. (C) 2001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.