Table Of ContentCurrent Clinical Pathology
Antonio Giordano, MD, PhD
SERIES EDITOR
Director, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research
and Molecular Medicine and Center for Biotechnology
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA, USA
For further volumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/7632
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Cristina Basso (cid:129) Marialuisa Valente
Gaetano Thiene
Editors
Cardiac Tumor
Pathology
Editors
Cristina Basso Marialuisa Valente
Pathological Anatomy Pathological Anatomy
Department of Cardiac Department of Cardiac
Thoracic and Vascular Sciences Thoracic and Vascular Sciences
Padova , Italy Padova , Italy
Gaetano Thiene
Pathological Anatomy
Department of Cardiac
Thoracic and Vascular Sciences
Padova , Italy
ISBN 978-1-62703-142-4 ISBN 978-1-62703-143-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-62703-143-1
Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012950036
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To the memory of Ivan Mahaim, a visionary
in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac
tumors
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Preface
Cardiac tumors were once considered a nosographic entity of scanty interest
because of their rarity, the intrinsic diagnostic dif fi culty and the therapeutic
impossibility. They were mostly fatal or incidental fi ndings at postmortem.
Nowadays they have become a topical subject because of the great advances
in clinical imaging (echocardiography, magnetic resonance, and computed
tomography) and surgical treatment and are a spectacular example of innova-
tion in technology for in vivo diagnosis and therapy.
The present monograph goes over these advances with clinicopathologic
correlations. About 90% of primary cardiac tumors are benign and the sim-
ple surgical removal is curative forever. Another proof as cardio-pulmonary
bypass with cardiac arrest and open-heart surgery was a revolutionary step
forward in cardiovascular medicine.
The book covers history, epidemiology, demographics, clinical diagnosis,
imaging, surgery, pathology, and basic sciences aspects of both benign and
malignant cardiac neoplasms, either primary or secondary. Chemotherapy
and radiotherapy of malignant neoplasms is as well as cardiotoxicity are
also addressed.
The book is directed to all the researchers and physicians involved in the
fi eld of cardiac oncology, from cardiologists to cardiac surgeons, from radi-
ologists to pathologists. In this regard, it must be said that cardiac surgery
opened the era of surgical pathology also in the fi eld of cardiac diseases.
As far as cardiac tumors, although tissue characterization with imaging is
tempting, histology and immunohistochemistry remain irreplaceable life-
saving steps for diagnosis. The presence of an expert cardiovascular patholo-
gist is fundamental in the clinical team dealing with cardiac tumors. This is
the reason why pathologists should be interested in reading and consulting
the book which however, at difference from previous authoritative books and
atlas, include robust clinical and imaging information, with several chapters
written by clinicians and surgeons, which represent its peculiarity.
Padua , Italy Cristina Basso M.D., Ph.D.
Marialuisa Valente M.D.
Gaetano Thiene M.D.
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Acknowledgments
The Editors are supported in their research by the Registry of Cardio-
cerebro-vascular Pathology, Veneto Region, Venice, Italy.
They also acknowledge Mrs. Chiara Carturan and Mr. Marco Pizzigolotto
for their editorial and graphical assistance in preparing this book.
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