[Acute right ventricular insufficiency reversible following anthracycline treatment]

Anthracyclines are very effective antineoplastic agents for the treatment of acute leukemia. Early and late dose-related cardiotoxicity can occur. We present a 33 year old women who developed a reversible right heart failure fifteen days after receiving a treatment with doxorubicine. Severe regional wall motion abnormalities were appreciated through two-dimensional and Doppler-flow echocardiography, there was no evidence of impaired systolic or diastolic left ventricle function. Two weeks later, remission of acute right ventricle failure was obtained, echocardiographic assessment was normal at this time. Incidence of right ventricle abnormalities after treatment is discussed.