Primary tumors of the heart: a review with emphasis on diagnosis and potential treatment modalities.

Primary cardiac tumors, while uncommon, are not rare neoplasms. They occur in individuals of all ages. A variety of benign and malignant tumors has been described. Presenting signs and symptoms mimic numerous systemic and cardiac disease states. Echocardiography, catheterization, and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques are diagnostic tools available to the physician. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention are curative measures for many benign cardiac tumors. Malignant variants are uniformly unresponsive to treatment.