Rhabdomyosarcoma (cardiac)

Cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma is a muscular tumor that arises in the heart.

Epidemiology

They account for only 4-7% of cardiac sarcomas overall but are the most common cardiac malignancy in infants and children. There is a slight male predilection.

Pathology

Location

Cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma has no predilection for any one chamber and may arise anywhere in the myocardium. More likely than other sarcomas to involve or arise from cardiac valves and they are often multiple. May invade the pericardium.

Unlike cardiac angiosarcoma, a portion of the tumor should always involve the myocardium.

Radiographic features

CT may show a smooth or irregular low-attenuation mass in a cardiac chamber. Signal intensity characteristics at MR imaging are variable.