Echocardiographic characteristics
Based on preoperative echocardiographic findings, the 53 operated patients were divided into two groups: a CM group (45 patients, 85%) and a NM group (8 patients, 15%). Preoperative echocardiographic characteristics are depicted in Table I. All tumors were solitary. The mean tumor size in the CM group was 35.3±18.6 mm (range: 10–81 mm). The majority of CM were located in the atria; 80% in the left atrium and 18% in the right atrium. One tumor was found in the left ventricle. Tumors found in the left atrium were most frequently attached to the atrial septum in the region of the fossa ovalis (n=27, 75%) (Figure 1). Other attachment sites in the left atrium included the mitral valve (n=4, two were attached to the posterior leaflet, one to the anterior leaflet, and one to the posterior annulus of the mitral valve), other areas of the atrial septum (n=3, posterior part of the atrial septum), the free atrial wall (n=1) and left atrial appendage (n=1). The tumors were mostly mobile (n=32, 71%). Mitral valve obstruction was observed in 10 (22%) patients and tricuspid valve obstruction in 1 (2%) patient.
The mean tumor size in the NM group was 30.3±16.9 mm (range: 8–50 mm) (Table I). All NM tumors were found in an atypical location, most frequently in the right atrium (n=4, 50%). Two were attached to the left atrial free wall or posterior mitral valve leaflet and one to the aortic valve.