Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart.

A primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart observed in a 3-week-old infant, provides an opportunity to review this rare clinical entity; 61 reported cases are collated. The more common sites are right ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium; the tumour may protrude into the cavity and cause obstruction. Echocardiography can demonstrate the tumour, which may also been seen as a filling defect on angiography. Primary heart tumours seldom occur, especially in infancy and childhood. According to Van der Hauwaert, the most common cardiac tumour in infancy is the rhabdomyoma. No primary malignant tumour was seen in 15 European centres within a 5-year period.