Thoracic Key

Key points • Surgical removal is the mainstay of cardiac mass diagnosis and treatment. • When complete tumor removal of the tumor is not possible or patient intention or condition…

Key points • In spite of the fact that cardiac tumors are a very rare entity, their diagnosis and clinical management are of paramount importance in the field of cardio-oncology….

Introduction Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is an extranodal lymphoma which involves the heart and pericardium. It is a very rare tumor, representing 0.5% of all extranodal lymphomas and 1%–2% of…

Key points • Most malignant cardiac tumors are metastatic, most commonly from lung and breast carcinomas, melanomas, soft tissue sarcomas, and renal carcinomas. • Malignant primary cardiac tumors are rare…

Key points • Cardiac CT has several advantages including wide availability, rapid acquisition time, excellent isotropic spatial resolution, and multiplanar reconstruction capabilities. • CT is a robust technique for assessment…

Key points • Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard noninvasive imaging modality to assess tissue characteristics in vivo which gives it a unique advantage in discriminating benign cardiac…

Key points • Extracardiac cardiac masses are important to the cardiologist because they can sometimes compress the heart or the great vessels, which enter or emerge from the heart, and,…

Key points • Malignant tumors are extremely rare. • 25% of primary cardiac tumors are malignant. • Most malignant cardiac tumors are metastatic (from breast, lung, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma,…

Key points • Vegetations are oscillating or nonoscillating intracardiac masses on the valves or other endocardial structures or intracardiac implanted materials. • Vegetations are typically located on the upstream side…

Key points • Today minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is a good alternative for standard midsternotomy for many cardiac surgeries. • Indications, technical issues, and the number of centers for…