What is cardiac rhabdomyoma?

What is cardiac rhabdomyoma?

Cardiac rhabdomyoma is a kind of benign (non- cancerous) heart tumor and is the most common type of heart tumor in children (Figure 1). • It is usually found during pregnancy or when the baby is an infant.

Where is the most common site for a rhabdomyoma?

Adult rhabdomyoma usually is localized to the oropharynx, the larynx, and the muscles of the neck. Fetal rhabdomyoma occurs most often in the subcutaneous tissues of the head and neck in children between birth and age 3 years.

How is rhabdomyoma treated?

Patients with adult rhabdomyoma should be treated with surgical resection of head and neck lesions, especially those lesions that compress or displace the tongue and those that may protrude and partially obstruct the pharynx or larynx. Fetal rhabdomyomas are usually located in the subcutaneous tissues.

Is rhabdomyoma malignant?

What is a rhabdomyoma? A rhabdomyoma is a cardiac tumor (a tumor on or in the heart). This type of tumor is not cancerous and will not spread.

What is the hallmark microscopic feature of a cardiac Rhabdomyoma?

Cardiac rhabdomyomas appear as well-circumscribed homogenous hyperechoic masses that most frequently involve the ventricles but can be found at any location in the heart. Small multiple lesions may manifest as a thickened myocardium on ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

What causes Rhabdomyoma?

What causes rhabdomyoma. Tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs, has been reported in up to 60-80% of patients diagnosed with rhabdomyomas.

How is Rhabdomyoma diagnosed?

Doctors will do a genetic test of the tumor tissue, usually fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH test), to see if translocations have occurred. Bone marrow biopsy. The doctor may also perform a bone marrow biopsy. Rhabdomyosarcoma can spread to the bone marrow, and only a biopsy can find it there.

What happens if you have a mass on your heart?

Small pieces of a heart tumor can break free and travel through the bloodstream. These pieces can lodge in a blood vessel, causing a blood clot that can lead to stroke if it goes to the brain, or respiratory problems if it goes to the lungs. Heart cancer can affect the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart.

What are the signs and symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma?

Common symptoms include:

• Persistent lump or swelling in the body that may be painful.
• Bulging of the eye or a drooping eyelid.
• Headache and nausea.
• Trouble urinating or having bowel movements.
• Blood in the urine.
• Earache or sinus infection symptoms.
• Bleeding from the nose, throat, vagina, or rectum.

Does rhabdomyosarcoma show up in bloodwork?

No blood test can be used to diagnose RMS. But certain blood tests may be helpful once a diagnosis has been made. A complete blood count (CBC) measures the levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood.

How long is treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma?

Chemo drugs used to treat rhabdomyosarcoma The total length of treatment usually ranges from 6 months to a year. Some drugs can be taken by mouth, but most are given IV (injected into a vein). A combination of chemo drugs is used to treat patients with RMS.

What causes a mass on your heart?

Causes of heart tumors vary. For the most part, heart tumors are believed to be the result of abnormal growth of heart tissue cells. A small percentage of tumors are genetically inherited, which can be found with genetic testing. In most cases, tumors develop without any family history.