Schröder S, Walker T, Greschniok A, Herdeg C, Karsch K R, Ziemer G
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2001 Feb;42(1):53-6.
Primary cardiac tumours are rare findings (incidence 0.02% according to a recent meta-analysis) with dismal prognosis. Approximately 25% are malignant, mostly represented by sarcomas. Among these, leiomyosarcomas are exceptional. Treatment for primary cardiac leiomyosarcomas consists of radical surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. The mean survival after surgery and adjuvant therapies is 6.8 months. We present a rare case of a 40- year-old male patient with a primary cardiac leiomysarcoma originating from the pulmonary valve. This patient died after surgery and implantation of a homograft of the pulmonary trunk. Furthermore, the literature has been reviewed.