[Cardiac rhabdomyoma in a newborn infant with tuberous sclerosis. Value of 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography]. / Rabdomioma cardiaco in neonato con sclerosi tuberosa. Ruolo dell'ecocardiografia bidimensionale e Doppler.

Cardiac rhabdomyomas are the most frequent primary cardiac tumors in infancy and childhood and in about 50% of cases are associated with tuberous sclerosis. They are often responsible for a high mortality rate because of their critical location and extent of involvement. This report describes a patient with tuberous sclerosis and multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas, both intramyocardial and intracavitary--diagnosed by two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography at birth. The infant was followed till nine months of age. To date, the tumors have not increased their size and don't provoke moderate or severe obstruction of blood flow. The child is, at present, free from cardiac signs and symptoms, and does not take digitalis or diuretics. We have not detected any arrhythmias. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography are very useful non-invasive techniques in the diagnosis and longitudinal follow-up of patients with cardiac rhabdomyomas.