RESPIRATORY DISTRESS REVEALING CARDIAC TUMOR IN INFANT

Primary tumors of the heart are uncommon in neonate and during childhood. Most tumors are benign, and theserhabdomyoma is the most common, followed by teratoma, fibroma, oncocytic cardiomyopathy, vascular tumors, and myxoma. Malignant and metastatic tumors are described but are rare. They may cause complications, which are sometimes life threatening, including arrhythmias, ventricular outflow/inflow obstruction, cardiac failure, and even sudden death. (1) Echocardiography, Computing Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the heart are the main non-invasive diagnostic tools , cardiac catheterisation is seldom necessary. Tumour biopsy with histological assessment remains the gold standard for confirmation of the diagnosis. Surgical resection of primary cardiac tumours should be considered to relieve symptoms and mechanical obstruction to blood flow. The outcome of surgical resection in symptomatic, non-myxomatous benign cardiac tumours is favourable. Patients with primary cardiac malignancies may benefit from palliative surgery but this approach should not be recommended for patients with metastatic cardiac tumours. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy may prolong survival. The prognosis for malignant primary cardiac tumours is generally extremely poor.