Intra-cardiac masses present an important problem in cardiology. The differential diagnoses includes tumours, which may be primary (benign or malignant) or metastatic, and infected mural thrombi.
Myxomas, sarcomas, breast, lung and renal cancer represent the commonest causes of primary benign, malignant and metastatic intra-cardiac masses, respectively.
Recent studies have shown that cardiac involvement in malignant lymphoma is common but under-investigated.
Diagnostic imaging techniques for detection of cardiac masses include echocardiography, CT and MRI, with echocardiography having the highest sensitivity. We propose that 18-F-PET/CT may play an important role in the detection and evaluation of intra-cardiac masses.
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