Comparison of echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography in the follow-up of left ventricular systolic function in adult lymphoma patients during doxorubicin therapy
T. Nousiainen et al., Comparison of echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography in the follow-up of left ventricular systolic function in adult lymphoma patients during doxorubicin therapy, J INTERN M, 249(4), 2001, pp. 297-303
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Objectives. To compare echocardiography (ECHO) and radionuclide ventriculog
raphy (RVG) in the monitoring of left ventricular systolic function during
doxorubicin therapy in adult lymphoma patients.
Design. Prospective study.
Settings. University hospital.
Subjects. A total of 28 adult patients who received doxorubicin to a cumula
tive dose of 400-500 mg m(-2).
Main outcome measures. ECHO and RVG were performed at baseline and after cu
mulative doxorubicin doses of 200, 400 and 500 mg m(-2).
Results. At baseline, the mean (+/-SE) left ventricular ejection fractions
(LVEF) were 58 +/- 1.3, 71 +/- 1.8 and 58 +/- 1.7% as determined by RVG, M-
mode ECHO and two-dimensional (2D) ECHO, respectively. After the cumulative
doxorubicin dose of 500 mg m(-2) LVEF decreased to 49.6 +/- 1.7% (RVG) (P
< 0.001), 62 +/- 1.6% (M-mode) (P = 0.006) and 52.5 +/- 1.3% (2D ECHO) (P =
0.036). Although a significant correlation between LVEF determined by RVG
and M-mode ECHO (r = 0.615, P = 0.002) and a trend between RVG and 2D ECHO
(r = 0.364. P = 0.096) were observed, there were substantial differences in
the results of individual patients. In the agreement analysis using the me
thod of Bland and Altman there was a mean difference of 12% units with the
upper limit of agreement +26% units and the lower limit of agreement -2.1%
units for LVEF determinations with M-mode ECHO and RVG, and a mean differen
ce of 3.3% units with upper and lower limits of agreement +19.6 and -13.1%
units for LVEF determinations with 2D ECHO and RVG. respectively.
Conclusion, We found only a moderate agreement between left ventricular sys
tolic function determined by ECHO and RVG methods. Thus, in the follow-up o
f left ventricular function in adult patients during doxorubicin therapy, t
he guidelines based on LVEF measurement by RVG cannot be applied to ECHO. C
onsequently, RVG remains the method of choice in this context.