Introduction/Objective. Although cardiac tumors in the pediatric population
are seldom findings, their occurrence is constant and with occasional
variations. The purpose of this study is to show our experience with
surgical options of these masses in two leading national university-level
pediatric centers over four decades. Methods. This retrospective study is
presenting a total number of 24 surgically treated pediatric patients who
have been operated from 1988 to 2020. There were 16 children with primary
masses and eight children with metastatic cardiac tumors. Two patients with
tumor-like intracardiac masses were not included in the series but had been
mentioned as diagnostic challenges. Our patients did not have cardiac
transplantation options. Results. The average age of our patients was five
and a half years and the most frequent operated tumor was the cardiac
myxoma. Four children had neurological symptoms. There were two deaths, one
in the primary tumor group and one metastatic patient misdiagnosed as a
primary tumor in the early ages of our department. We had two recurrent
cases, a girl with Carney complex and an infant with an extremely rare form
of cardiac malignancy after a myxoma extraction. One child required a
permanent pacemaker insertion. Conclusion. Although rare, the pediatric
cardiac tumors can be a source of different life-threatening conditions and
lifelong sequelae. Therefore, special considerations should be paid to the
diagnostic and surgical modalities of their treatment.