LEFT ATRIAL MECHANICS AND INTEGRATED CALIBRATED BACKSCATTER IN ANTHRACYCLINE-TREATED LONG-TERM SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCERS

We tested the hypothesis that left atrial (LA) mechanics and myocardial calibrated integrated backscatter (cIB) are altered in anthracycline- treated long- term survivors of childhood cancers. Forty- nine survivors and 25 controls were studied. Survivors had significantly smaller maximal (p = 0.009) and minimal (p = 0.017) LA volumes and lower peak negative LA strains (p = 0.011). For left ventricular (LV) indices, survivors had significantly lower shortening fraction (p< 0.001), ejection fraction (p<0.001) and mitral annular late diastolic velocity (p 5 0.003). Myocardial cIB of the LA posterior wall, ventricular septum and LV posterior wall was significantly greater in survivors than controls (all p values <0.05). Peak negative LA strain was related to late diastolic mitral annular velocity (r = 0.27, p = 0.018), whereas LA cIB was related to the average of septal and LV posterior wall cIB (r = 0.54, p, 0.001). In conclusion, LA remodeling as characterized by contractile dysfunction and increased cIB suggestive of fibrosis occurs in adult survivors of childhood cancers. (E- mail: xfcheung@hku.hk) (C) 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.