[Cardiac rhabdomyomas]

Abstract

Case report of cardiac rhabdomyoma in one two days old infant with important cyanosis and respiratory insufficiency with evolution to death in few hours. The radiologic feature was a great enlargement of the heart and the electrocardiographic study showed left branch block. The two-dimensional echocardiography study showed multiple intracavitary tumours in both ventricles and in the right atrium. These features were confirmed in the post-mortem study. The microscopic study of the tumors showed proliferation of the spider cells, and vacuolation with the presence glycogen. The diagnosis of cardiac rhabdomyoma was confirmed. The brain and the kidney were not studied for the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis or kidney tumors. It is very important the early diagnosis by echocardiography, due to the possibility of surgical resection of the intracavitary tumors that cause severe obstruction to the blood flow.