Cardiac Masses and Tumors
摘要
When cardiac tumors are considered in the differential diagnosis, the initial method of evaluation is echocardiography, either transthoracic (TTE) or transesophageal (TEE), depending on clinical circumstances. TEE is more comprehensive and accurate than TTE in the evaluation of cardiac masses. Three-dimensional echocardiography can assess the size of cardiac masses and define the complex anatomy of the heart. If a cardiac lesion is identified, chest computed tomography with contrast enhancement and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with contrast are superior modalities for the characterization of the lesion and the description of the extent of tumor involvement. They may also help exclude the possibility of the direct cardiac extension of a tumor, created by the adjacent mediastinal structures. In this chapter, in addition to primary and secondary cardiac tumors, we discuss other cardiac masses such as thrombi, vegetations, cysts, and intra-/extracardiac normal structures.