Characteristics of 161 patients with cardiac tumors diagnosed during 1993 and 1994 in Japan.

We investigated clinical and pathologic characteristics of 161 patients with primary or secondary cardiac tumors diagnosed between 1993 and 1994 in Japan. The increased use of cardiovascular imaging, especially echocardiography, contributed to the early identification of small cardiac tumors, resulting in a reduction of the serious complications such as embolization.