Symptoms and treatment of a tumor on the heart

Tumors of the heart develop in the cardiac membranes and tissues. These formations tend to grow into the myocardium, cardiac partitions, valves and other parts of the "motor" of the human body.

This pathology occurs infrequently, most likely due to the rapid metabolic processes and blood circulation in the region of the heart. The causes of this disease are still unknown. But most often they occur in patients who have had a myocardial infarction, surgery on the heart or traumatic lesions of this organ. Far from the last place in this list is given to the genetic factor.

Clinical manifestations

The symptoms of this disease depend on which part of the organ the formation is located, its size, and the causes of occurrence.

Tumors of the heart can be:

• primary;
• secondary.

The primary pathological process can be benign or malignant. Among cancers, sarcomas are common, less often lymphomas. Benign formations can be found three times more often. Of these, tumors in the muscles are isolated, as well as lipomas, fibromas, teratomas, hemangiomas.

Secondary tumor process is more common.

These are, as a rule, cancer metastases from other organs:

• kidneys;
• thyroid gland;
• stomach;
• chest;
• lungs.

The pathological process may not manifest itself for a long time or have “blurred” symptoms. Prolonged hyperthermia may be present. Some patients lose weight. The patient feels ever-increasing weakness, fingers on the limbs go numb, joints ache. Sometimes there is a rash in the trunk.

In the future, symptoms of heart failure usually develop. Fingertips thicken. The fingers are like drumsticks, and the nails are like watch glasses. There are changes in the picture of the blood.

The nature of pain in the heart area depends on the location of the neoplasm:

1. If it is located in the heart muscle itself, then there is a violation of conduction, blockade of the heart, the rhythm is disturbed. The organ increases in size over time, heart failure develops.
2. Sometimes the clinic of this pathology is similar to heart defects. If the disease develops inside the heart cavities, symptoms of left or right ventricular failure may develop.

Literally half of all formations are myxomas. These tumors of the heart have intracavitary localization, they are benign. They can occur in people of all ages, but people 30-50 years old are most susceptible to the development of this disease. Cases of family mixes are known. Most often, this formation develops in the left atrium, much less often in the right, and only occasionally in the ventricles.

Myxoma can have any shape, its consistency is loose and jelly-like. May have a capsule. As a rule, such neoplasms have a stalk for attachment to the heart walls. Myxoma can be small (a few millimeters), and can grow up to fifteen centimeters. As long as the valve openings or cavities are not blocked, a person may not feel any deterioration in well-being. But as the formation grows, blood circulation is disrupted, which causes symptoms of heart failure. It usually occurs against the background of complete health, develops rapidly and is practically not amenable to therapy.

Often, heart tumors form in the left half of the organ.

In this case, you may observe:

• labored breathing;
• fainting;
• tachycardia.

All these symptoms occur with a change in position. Sudden deaths have also been reported. Particles of education can come off and get into the bloodstream of the blood, which leads to their blockage. If the neoplasm is located in the right atrium, tumor fragments can clog the pulmonary vessels. Myxoma in the left side of the organ can cause hemorrhages in the brain.

Diagnosis and treatment

The following diagnostic studies are prescribed:

1. During auscultation of the heart, a murmur can be heard during diastole, which disappears with a change in body position.
2. On the ECG, you can see an increase in the corresponding atrium.
3. On an echocardiogram, you can accurately determine the size of the neoplasm, where it is located and where the leg is attached, in what condition the valves are.
4. When a heart tumor is detected, the patient is prescribed an X-ray examination, which provides reliable data on metastasis, the number of metastases, and their prevalence.
5. Computed tomography provides information about the condition of the blood vessels of a person who has a heart tumor.
6. If there are controversial questions about the depth of the lesion and the number of metastases, an MRI is prescribed, the study is the most accurate of all known.

When cancerous growths in the region of the heart cannot be removed, radiation therapy is used. Even with timely treatment in malignant processes, the prognosis of the disease is disappointing.

Myxomas are treated only by surgery. If this neoplasm is detected, surgical treatment is carried out without delay. The person is switched to a device with artificial circulation. The formation is removed, along with it the leg, as well as the area to which it is attached, and that part of the organ to which it is attached. In this place, a defect is usually formed, which is sutured or closed with a patch. The heart itself is flushed with saline, which is subsequently removed by suction. If the operation of the valves is disturbed, they are corrected.

Prevention

There is no special prevention aimed at avoiding such a pathology as heart tumors.

The rules are:

1. The lifestyle of a person is important. You need to give up bad habits.
2. Proper nutrition and normal sleep are far from the last place on this list.
3. You should not take medicines for no reason and just like that without consulting a doctor.
4. Any infectious and inflammatory processes must be treated in a timely manner, as they provoke the formation of cancer cells.
5. If there are problems with the heart and blood vessels, you need to periodically do an ECG and visit a cardiologist (especially after forty years).

If you follow all the recommendations, you can prevent the development of serious complications.