Cardiac functions evaluated with tissue Doppler imaging in childhood cancers treated with anthracyclines

The aim of this study was to assess the cardiac functions using conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging in childhood cancers treated with anthracyclines.

The study group was selected from the patients admitted to the pediatric oncology department for a treatment protocol that included doxorubicin. Body surface area was calculated and complete 2-dimensional, M-mode, pulse wave Doppler and pulse wave tissue Doppler echocardiographic examinations were performed just before the first treatment and at least 6 months after the last treatment.

This study included 20 patients (12 males and 8 females). Mean cumulative antracycline dose was 189 +/- 102.90 mg/m(2). There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-treatment groups regarding systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rates, left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening, right and left ventricular conventional and tissue Doppler diastolic parameters (E and A waves, E/A ratio, E' and A' waves, E'/A' ratio), but there were significant differences between the pre- and post-treatment groups regarding body surface area, right and left ventricular myocardial performance index observed by conventional pulse wave and pulse wave tissue Doppler methods.

Tissue Doppler imaging provided additional information on cardiac functions. While systolic and diastolic functions were in normal range, myocardial performance index observed by tissue Doppler method was impaired in children who were treated with anthracyclines.