Early change in left atrial function in patients treated with anthracyclines assessed by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography

Anthracyclines chemotherapy remains a critical component of cancer treatment despite its established risk of cardiotoxicity. It has been suggested that diastolic changes precede systolic dysfunction in various conditions and predict later deterioration1,2,3. Several studies have reported LV diastolic abnormalities late after anthracycline administration; these abnormalities were associated with wall motion abnormalities despite a preserved LVEF4,5. LA size and function is associated with LV diastolic function6. In fact, quantification of LA function remains chanllenging. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) has provided information about real time changes of LA volumes during cardiac cycle, allowing an easier and more reliable calculation of LA emptying fractions7,8,9. Recently, RT3DE has shown to be more accurate than 2DE (two-dimensional echocardiography) for the assessment of LA volumes, when both were compared with magnetic resonance10. In our study we sought to assess the early change in left atrial size and function in patients treated with anthracyclines using three-dimensional echocardiography.