Echocardiographic Changes after Treatment with Anthracyclines in Children

In this study, we evaluated systolic and diastolic changes over time after treatment with anthracyclines in children. In this study, 25 patients aged 1-17.5 years were assessed. Echocardiography was performed just after starting chemotherapy, 6 months and one year after stating of anthracyclines. Echocardiography results of 25 healthy aged matched children were recorded as the control group. The average anthracycline dose was 371 mg/m2 (range: 100-690 mg/m2) before the third echocardiography. M-mode echocardiography did not show statistically significant differences. However, Doppler and pulse tissue Doppler showed statistically significant changes between the first echocardiography, and those performed six and one year later (P < 0.05).In tissue Doppler echocardiogram statistically significant changes were observed in systolic wave of septum, atrial wave of anterior wall, early and late diastolic wave of lateral tricuspid and mitral valve. There was a statistically significant correlation between wave changes and the anthracycline dose received. According to our study, tissue Doppler echocardiography can detect early cardiac abnormalities which cannot be detected by two-dimensional echocardiography. Such changes are dose-dependent.