Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 August 2008
We discuss the management of 10 children with cardiac masses produced bytumors, thrombus or vegetations. The ages of the patients ranged from five days to nine years, only two being more than five years old. In all cases, the diagnosis was made by cross-sectional and Doppler echocardiography. Themasses were detected in the chambers of the right heart in five patients, in the left heart in four and on both sides in one patient. Five patients had predisposing factors. The clinical features were variable, but cardiac failure was the most common sign. All the patients underwent emergency surgery. Two patients died during the period of hospitalization and two in the late postoperative period. The six surviving patients are now asymptomatic.