What is a cardiac tumor?

Also known as: heart tumors, rhabdomyomas, myxomas, fibromas, teratomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, fibrosarcomas.

If an abnormal tissue grows in the heart (or in rare cases spreads to the heart-called secondary or metastatic tumors), it is known as a primary cardiac tumor. Cardiac tumors are rare in children; they can be both benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and both may interfere with the way the heart functions.

Benign heart tumors include:

• rhabdomyomas (most common)
• fibromas
• myxomas
• pericardial teratomas
• and others

Malignant tumors are frequently rhabdomyosarcomas or fibrosarcomas.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM