cardiac tumors
CARDIAC TUMORS
INTRODUCTION
Cardiac tumours occur quite rarely, with metastatic neoplasms three times more prevalent than primary tumours. A large variety of benign and malignant tumours of the heart have been described. These tumors are found mainly in the heart, but can occur in the pericardium or the great arteries. Secondary cardiac involvement from malignant tumors of adjacent organs (lung, thymus) or from kidney (Wilms tumor) or liver, or even remote organs, are also seen.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HEART
HEART
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek word , kardia, for "heart".
The human heart has a mass of between 250 and 350 grams and is about the size of a fist. It is located anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum.
It is enclosed in a double-walled sac called the pericardium. The superficial part of this sac is called the fibrous pericardium. This sac protects the heart, anchors its surrounding structures, and prevents overfilling of the heart with blood.
The outer wall of the human heart is composed of three layers. The outer layer is called the epicardium, or visceral pericardium since it is also the inner wall of the pericardium. The middle layer is called the myocardium and is composed of muscle which contracts. The inner layer is called the endocardium and is in contact with the blood that the heart pumps. Also, it merges with the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels and covers heart valves
The heart have four chambers, right atrium , left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle.
Right Atrium
The right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood from the body through the superior vena cava (head and upper
INTRODUCTION
Cardiac tumours occur quite rarely, with metastatic neoplasms three times more prevalent than primary tumours. A large variety of benign and malignant tumours of the heart have been described. These tumors are found mainly in the heart, but can occur in the pericardium or the great arteries. Secondary cardiac involvement from malignant tumors of adjacent organs (lung, thymus) or from kidney (Wilms tumor) or liver, or even remote organs, are also seen.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HEART
HEART
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek word , kardia, for "heart".
The human heart has a mass of between 250 and 350 grams and is about the size of a fist. It is located anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum.
It is enclosed in a double-walled sac called the pericardium. The superficial part of this sac is called the fibrous pericardium. This sac protects the heart, anchors its surrounding structures, and prevents overfilling of the heart with blood.
The outer wall of the human heart is composed of three layers. The outer layer is called the epicardium, or visceral pericardium since it is also the inner wall of the pericardium. The middle layer is called the myocardium and is composed of muscle which contracts. The inner layer is called the endocardium and is in contact with the blood that the heart pumps. Also, it merges with the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels and covers heart valves
The heart have four chambers, right atrium , left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle.
Right Atrium
The right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood from the body through the superior vena cava (head and upper