Functional and morphological cardiac changes in myeloproliferative disorders (clinical study)

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hematology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cardiac involvement in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) requires further definition.
• Transthoracic echocardiography is a key imaging modality for cardiac assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate cardiac involvement in patients with MPD using transthoracic echocardiography.
• To compare cardiac findings between MPD patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 36 MPD patients (including essential thrombocythemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, idiopathic myelofibrosis, and polycythemia vera) and 30 healthy controls underwent transthoracic echocardiography.
• Cardiac parameters assessed included valvular function, calcifications, and pulmonary hypertension.

Main Results:

• Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) was significantly more prevalent in MPD patients (17%) compared to controls (0%), particularly in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (MF) subgroups.
• While mitral regurgitation was more prominent in CML, overall valvular lesions, annular calcifications, and vegetation-like lesions were not significantly different between groups.
• PHT was more common in MPD patients with thromboembolic events compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary hypertension represents the most prominent cardiac pathology in MPD, especially in CML, MF, and subgroups with thromboembolic events.
• Valvular lesions are not more prevalent in MPD patients.
• Further comprehensive cardiac evaluation with advanced imaging and extended follow-up is recommended for MPD subgroups.