BENIGN AND MALIGNANT CARDIAC AND MEDIASTINAL MASSES IN CHILDREN

Abstract

The authors have summarized their experience of surgical treatment of cardiac and mediastinal neoplasms in 24 pediatric patients who were operated and followed up from 1967 to 2012. Rapid malignization was observed in one third of patients with thymus tumors. The authors conclude that surgery should be done as soon as possible after detection of a neoplasm, despite the absence of clinical signs and symptoms indicative of involvement of chest organs.

Keywords

• primary cardiac tumors
• mediastinal tumors
• thymus
• thymomas
• cardiovascular surgery
• pediatric patients