| Abstract: | Secondary cardiac tumours are rare but but are now more frequently diagnosed by echocardiography. We report 6 cases of intracardiac metastases affecting the right heart which were diagnosed by 2D echocardiography. In 3 cases, a very mobile, oval-shaped tumour was visualised within the right atrium prolapsing into the tricuspid orifice in diastole like a myxoma but associated in 2 cases with signs of invasion of the inferior vena cava. Two other non-mobile tumours were observed causing massive invasion of the right atrium and the last case was of an infiltrating tumour of the right ventricle resulting in pulmonary infundibular obstruction. In the light of our experience and a review of the literature, it is difficult to distinguish secondary tumours of the right atrium from myxomas especially when the tumours are mobile and when it is impossible to visualise a pedicle inserted on the interatrial septum or tumoral invasion of the inferior vena cava. At the ventricular level, the diagnostic signs differ according to whether there is tumoral invasion of the cavity or infiltration of the muscular wall. These cases illustrate the value of 2D echocardiography in the diagnosis of intracardiac metastases, sometimes even in the absence of clinical signs. |
