Cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma: diagnosis by MR imaging

We report a case of cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma the initial clinical features of which were pericardial effusion, clinical symptoms of congestive heart failure and probable pulmonary thromboembolism, in which echocardiography constituted the first approach to the diagnosis of cardiac tumor and MRI confirmed it, precisely delimiting the tumoral extension and possible infiltration of pericardiac structures. A brief literature review of this entity is given, the MRI findings obtained in our case are described, and we discuss the advantages and limitations of this technique as compared with other alternatives of image diagnosis. Received: 5 November 1997; Revision received: 6 April 1998; Accepted: 7 July 1998     

Left ventricular malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the heart is rare. A 39-year-old male with symptoms of infectious endocarditis was transferred to our hospital. Transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass in the left ventricle of heart with a short stalk attached to the lateral wall. He underwent open heart surgery, resecting the tumor. The pathologic diagnosis was MFH.     

Computed tomography of cardiac and pericardial tumors

Computed tomography (CT) scans in 30 patients with neoplastic involvement of the heart and pericardium were retrospectively reviewed. Computed tomography was compared with echocardiography in three of four patients with large primary cardiac tumors and in three patients with metastatic pericardial disease. Computed tomography was superior to echocardiography in determining tumor extent and site of origin of a right atrial sarcoma, as well as in assessing tumor extent and presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension in a left atrial malignant fibrous histiocytoma and a left atrial myxoma. Pericardial effusions were detected by echocardiography in two out of three patients with metastatic pericardial disease, but the malignant nature of the effusion was not recognized; in all three cases CT showed nodular pericardial thickening. Of the 23 patients with evidence on CT of direct extension of anterior mediastinal masses, bronchogenic carcinoma or mesothelioma to the pericardium 21 had nodular pericardial thickening and 2 diffuse thickening; only 6 had pericardial effusion. We conclude that CT is useful in the characterization of large primary cardiac tumors that are incompletely visualized with echocardiography. Computed tomography is superior to echocardiography in assessing tumor involvement of the pericardium because pericardial effusions are often absent; CT is also superior in identifying nodular pericardial thickening.     

心脏原发恶性肿瘤CT及MRI表现

目的:了解心脏原发恶性肿瘤的CT、MRI表现,旨在提高诊断及鉴别诊断。材料和方法:12例经病理证实心脏恶性肿瘤的CT及MRI资料进行回顾性分析。其中5例行胸部CT平扫加增强扫描。9例做心脏MR检查,其中7例行动态增强扫描。结果:发生部位以右心房最多见(6/12)。跨心腔生长或累及邻近大血管及心包常见(10/12)。伴有心包和胸腔积液(9/12)。肿瘤多以中度不均匀强化为主,血管肉瘤内见同血管强化一致条状影,横纹肌肉瘤呈后期明显均匀强化。肿瘤MR信号以T1WI等略低信号,T2WI为混杂高信号表现为主,而恶性纤维组织细胞瘤T2WI呈明显低信号较特征。结论:心脏恶性肿瘤具有一般恶性肿瘤侵袭性生长之特点,CT、MRI评价病变范围、组织特征具有优势,有助于诊断及治疗方案实施,进一步组织学定性、鉴别有困难。     

A case report of primary cardiac lymphoma presented with marked cardiac accumulation of 67Ga-citrate]

A case of primary malignant lymphoma of the heart is reported. The patient who was a 67-year old male presented with dyspnea on exertion. The chest X-ray film showed an enlarged cardiac silhouette. UCG showed massive pericardial effusion and a mass in the right atrium. Although pathological confirmation was failed in the cardiac biopsy, malignant cardiac tumor was strongly suspected by a gallium scintigraphy, which showed marked accumulation in the heart. After irradiation therapy the cardiac tumor diminished in size and the cardiac 67Ga-citrate accumulation also disappeared. Multiple skin metastases, however, were soon noted, and a subsequent skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. He died within 11 months in spite of systemic chemotherapy. Primary cardiac lymphoma is extremely rare, but this case suggested the cardiac mass with positive gallium scintigraphy have a possibility of cardiac lymphoma.     

CT of intracardiac and intrapericardial masses

Computed tomographic (CT) equipment capable of high-resolution, rapid-sequence scanning allows detection of intracardiac and intrapericardial masses. Two patients with intrapericardial masses (pheochromocytoma, organized hematoma) and three patients with intracardiac masses (right ventricular rhabdomyosarcoma, right atrial metastasis, and left atrial thrombus) are presented. CT is the imaging method of choice for displaying pericardial masses directly and may be superior to echocardiography and angiocardiography in the detection of ventricular thrombi. In patients with cardiac tumors, CT evaluates extent of disease including invasion of contiguous vessels and pulmonary metastases better than echocardiography. Dynamic scanning after bolus intravenous injection of contrast material is recommended for the evaluation of patients with suspected masses involving the heart or pericardium.     

心脏彩超在诊断多病因慢性心力衰竭时的临床应用分析

目的分析心脏彩超在诊断慢性心力衰竭时的作用以及左室诊断多病因心力衰竭的临床应用意义。方法应用心脏彩超测量76例充血性左心衰竭患者左室射血分数（LVEF）（双平面Simpson法测量）、左心室舒张末期内径（LVDd）、左心房内径（LAD）,并根据EF值分为正常组与降低组,对治疗前后EF值的变化进行分析。结果正常组与降低组治疗前后EF值对比、降低组的治疗前后EF值对比差异具有统计学意义Pd0．05,正常组治疗前后EF值差异无统计学意义,P〉O．05。结论心脏彩超检查的左室射血分数对多病因心力衰竭的诊断无特异性,不能作为单一确诊标准,但可以作为临床治疗过程中的可信监测指标。     

Arterioven?ses Angiom des Herzens mit intramuskul?rer Lokalisation

The most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death is coronary artery disease (CAD). Further causes include various cardiac and extracardiac pathologies. Primary cardiac tumors can induce a variety of symptoms and even lead to cardiac death depending on the location and extent. The clinical and postmortem diagnosis of cardiac tumors can be difficult and requires many, sometimes specific investigation methods. The majority of cardiac tumors are benign with 25?C30% being histologically malignant. Only 0.8?C5% of all benign primary cardiac tumors are hemangiomas with different histological classification. This article presents a case of an intramuscular arteriovenous hemangioma of the heart without concise macroscopic findings, which is to the best of our knowledge the first case reported in the literature.     

Hallazgos de imagen de las masas cardíacas (parte II): tumores malignos y lesiones pseudotumorales

Malignant heart tumors are less common than benign ones. They can be primary or secondary. Secondary or metastatic heart tumors are 20 to 40 times more common than primary malignant heart tumors, which have an estimated incidence of 0.05%. Non-neoplastic pseudotumors can present as cardiac masses, with imaging characteristics than can suggest the diagnosis of a tumor. The aim of this article is to describe and illustrate malignant heart tumors and pseudotumors, stressing the CT and MRI findings that make it possible to differentiate them from benign cardiac tumors.     

超声心动图在二尖瓣置换术后远期心功能不全病因诊断中的应用

 目的探索超声心动图在二尖瓣置换(MVR)术后远期心功能不全病因诊断中的作用。方法超声随访44例MVR患者术后3个月～13.5a,并根据手术的远期效果,分为心功能不全组(A组)和康复组(B组)。除注意人工瓣和自然瓣的病变外,还分析了这2组手术前后左房、左室内径及左室射血分数(EF)的差异。结果超声显示A组二尖瓣位单组或伴主动脉瓣位双组人工瓣异常5例,其它自然瓣明显病变11例。术后A组的左室内径明显大于B组(P＜0.05),EF值明显小于B组(P＜0.01)。超声心动图提供的信息为36.4％心功能不全代偿期和66.7％失代偿期患者诊断出了导致心功能障碍的主要原因。结论MVR手术前后超声检查对术后远期心功能不全的诊断具有实用价值。     

Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of carcinoid heart disease

Carcinoid tumors are associated with the production of a number of bioactive substances that might deposit on the endocardium (endocardial fibroelastosis) and produce cardiac failure. Carcinoid heart disease usually presents as right-sided valvular heart disease. Even if the diagnosis is frequently made by transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging adds valuable information when evaluating cardiac structures that might be difficult to analyze on echocardiography.     

CT and MR imaging findings of malignant cardiac tumors

This article reviews CT and MRI features of malignant cardiac and pericardial tumors, most of which originate from the lung, breast, melanoma, leukemia, or lymphoma through lymphatic, hematogenous, transvenous, and direct pathways. Although echocardiography establishes the diagnosis in most cases, CT and MRI provide additional physical, spatial, and functional information that further aids the evaluation of metastases. For instance, CT provides superior resolution for detecting calcification or fat, while MRI with its direct multiplanar ability more completely characterizes the heart, pericardium, mediastinum, and lungs. MRI also helps elucidate the pathophysiological effects of these tumors on cardiac function through gated cine-loop sequences. Beyond tumor characterization, both modalities can help confirm diagnosis through the addition of contrast, which helps distinguish tumor from myocardium, thrombus, and blood flow artifact. Ultimately, MRI best facilitates surgical planning and posttreatment follow-up in large part because of its unparalleled ability to locate and delimit these tumors.     

原发性心脏心包肿瘤的MRI诊断分析

目的：分析原发性心脏心包肿瘤的ＭＲＩ所见，评价ＭＲＩ对本病诊断的意义。材料和方法：１４例原发性心脏心包肿瘤均经ＭＲ检查，男９例，女５例。年龄６个月～６４岁，平均４４岁，其中儿童２例。１４例中８例经手术病理证实６例经ＭＲ和超声诊断。所有病例ＭＲ扫描前均有Ｘ线平片检查。结果：１４例心脏心包肿瘤中心腔内肿瘤５例，证实为粘液瘤，４例位于左房，１例位于左室。肌壁肿瘤６例，１例证实为淋巴管瘤。心包肿瘤３例，２例证实为脂肪瘤和间皮肉瘤。结论：ＭＲ对心脏心包肿瘤具有诊断价值，更适于全面观察肿瘤对心肌的浸润和向腔内外扩散及其与心旁肿瘤的鉴别     

Sudden death in adolescence caused by cardiac haemangioma

Primary tumors of the heart in infants and children are rare. The types of heart tumors in pediatric age groups are generally different from those in adults. Cardiac myxoma is by far the most common tumor in adults, but in infants and adolescents the prevalent tumor of the heart is rhabdomyoma. Among benign cardiac tumors, cardiac hemangiomas are rare and often diagnosed post-mortem due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and signs.We report a case of sudden death due to cardiac hemangioma in an apparently healthy 15-year-old adolescent. The autopsy revealed a cardiac hemangioma located at the apex of the heart; the histopathological examination showed the tumor was a mixed capillary and arteriolar hemangioma, a very rare type of primary tumor in adolescents.     

Primary Cardiac Lymphoma: Helical CT Findings and Radiopathologic Correlation

Primary tumors of the heart are extremely rare. Clinical manifestations are nondiagnostic and the patients are often misdiagnosed. Magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography are standard in this diagnostic workup. We report a case of a man with acromegaly, dysphagia, chest pain and weight loss. An invasive cardiac mass was diagnosed by helical-CT. Autopsy demonstrated a B-cell aggressive lymphoma.     

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: a review and case report

Primary cardiac tumors, both benign and malignant, are rare. Approximately 25% of primary cardiac tumors are malignant, with the majority of these being sarcomas. One of the most common sarcomas is angiosarcoma. A case of primary angiosarcoma of the heart is presented which illustrates several of the features of this malignancy. The administration of systemic chemotherapy resulted in a brief stabilization of disease before progression and subsequent death occurred. Clinical signs and symptoms of cardiac tumors and diagnostic testing are discussed. Therapeutic options and efficacy of therapy are reviewed.     

Primary cardiac epithelioid angiosarcoma: A case report

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is an extremely rare, high-grade malignancy. Here, we describe the case of a 44-year-old male patient with a heart tumor in the left atrium wall, which caused a large amount of pericardial effusion that invaded the surrounding area and is visible on transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The postoperative histopathological results confirmed this case as a primary cardiac epithelioid angiosarcoma.     

缺血性心肌病与扩张型心肌病的超声心动图特征比较与鉴别诊断

 目的 探讨超声心动图对缺血性心肌病(ischemic cardiomyopathy,ICM)及扩张型心肌病(dilated cardiomyopathy,DCM) 的鉴别诊断价值。方法 收集175例因心功能不全、射血分数低且超声提示心脏扩张的患者,在纠正心衰后行选择性冠状动脉造影(selective coronary angiography,CAG),明确诊断为ICM或DCM,结果ICM组94例,DCM组81例,应用超声心动图分别对2组从心脏形态学、血流动力学及房室功能等方面进行比较。结果 ICM 组与 DCM 组多项超声指标间差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05或P<0.01)。相对于ICM ,DCM组患者心脏射血分数更低,DCM组的左房内径,右室内径,左室舒张末内径均大于ICM组,同时,DCM组的左室缩末容积及左室舒末容积均大于ICM组,同时,前者的主动脉瓣,肺动脉瓣口血流速度均小于后者。结论 ICM与DCM的心脏结构在超声的显示上有明显不同,前者心脏腔室内径相对较大,且主动脉瓣及肺动脉瓣口血流速度小于后者。     

Cardiac tumors

Summary Tumors of the heart are very rare. Due to the nonspecific clinical presentation the diagnosis is usually made by radiological procedures. Cardiac myxomas and thrombi are the most common cardiac masses. Two-dimensional echocardiography is the method of choice for the initial evaluation of cardiac tumors, because it permits the accurate determination of the tumor's size, localization, point of attachment, mobility and haemodynamic significance. Inadequate or nondiagnostic ultrasound examination and the need for preoperative assessment are indications for further examinations, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography. Both these methods are helpful in the assessment of paracardiac structures and of the tumor invasion into great vessels and the mediastinum. MRI allows a limited degree of assessment of whether or not the tumor is malignant by soft tissue characterization. In the case of resectable, symptomatic, cardiac tumors surgical excision should be performed. Eingegangen am 23. Dezember 1996 Angenommen am 10. Januar 1997     

超声心动图诊断原发性心脏肿瘤

目的：探讨原发性心脏肿瘤超声心动图(ECG)特征。方法：利用ECG检查42例心脏肿瘤。其中粘液瘤38例，恶性肉瘤2例，均经手术病理证实。横纹肌瘤2例，经随访证实。结果：ECG对38例粘液瘤，2例横纹肌瘤全部做出正确诊断。2例恶性肿瘤提示相应部位占位病变。粘液瘤多发生在左房，有明确的瘤蒂，肿瘤回声稀疏，活动度大。恶性肿瘤回声较强、无蒂，活动度小。横纹肌瘤多发生在室壁心肌内，呈结节状，与正常心肌间有明确的界限。结论：ECG对原发心脏肿瘤的诊断具有重要意义，可初步区分良、恶性肿瘤。