Abstract

Background: Primary cardiac tumors are rare, with myxomas being the most common benign subtype. Early diagnosis and surgical excision are crucial due to risks of embolism, arrhythmias, and sudden death. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, imaging findings, and surgical outcomes of patients with histopathologically confirmed cardiac myxoma treated at our center.
Methods: This retrospective observational study reviewed patients who underwent surgery for intracardiac masses. Of 1,135 open-heart surgeries, 7 were performed for intracardiac masses. One patient was excluded due to a postoperative diagnosis of thrombus. Six patients with histopathologically confirmed cardiac myxoma were included. Clinical presentation, imaging findings, surgical data, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed descriptively.
Results: Among the six patients (mean age 56.1± 13.8 years, 83.3% female), five (83.3%) had left atrial myxomas and one (16.7%) had a right atrial myxoma. Surgical excision via median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass was performed in all cases, with concomitant atrial septal defect repair in two patients. One patient (16.7%) died due to infective endocarditis; the remaining patients had uneventful recoveries.
Conclusion: Cardiac myxomas are rare but clinically significant tumors. Early diagnosis using echocardiography and prompt surgical excision yields excellent long-term outcomes with a low recurrence risk. Despite the favorable prognosis, vigilant follow-up is warranted due to potential postoperative complications.

Key words: Cardiac myxoma, cardiac tumor, echocardiography, surgical outcomes, recurrence