OBJECTIVE: Velocity vector imaging (VVI) is a new echocardiographic technique of measuring regional myocardial velocities and deformation. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of VVI in defining regional functional abnormalities in patients with an acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: Standard echocardiography and delayed enhancement (DE) magnetic resonance imaging were performed in 32 patients (29 men, mean age 61.2 +/- 8.1 years)

Anticoagulant therapy plays an important role in current medical practice. The main types of anticoagulant agents are: heparins, hirudins and vitamin K antagonists. None of the drugs used as anticoagulants meet the criteria of an ideal anticoagulant because they have side effects and they interact with other compounds. The main side effect of anticoagulant therapy is bleeding. The choice of a certain anticoagulant is made by the doctor based on the

In this pilot study, we examined the feasibility and toxicity in 16 elderly women aged >65 receiving six cycles of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PL-DOX) cyclophosphamide as adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. An extensive cardiologic assessment was also performed including echocardiographic Doppler-based strain rate imaging (SRI), a promising new sensitive technique to assess cardiac function. All but one patient finished the six planned

INTRODUCTION: With new anticancer therapies, many patients can have a long life expectancy. Treatment-related comorbidities become an issue for cancer survivors. Cardiac toxicity remains an important side effect of anticancer therapies. Myocardial dysfunction can become apparent early or long after end of therapy and may be irreversible. Detection of cardiac injury is crucial since it may facilitate early therapeutic measures. Traditionally, chemotherapy-induced

Forty-eight-year old woman with left-sided mastectomy due to breast cancer received radiotherapy (RT) to the chest wall by a direct electron field. The internal mammary and medial supraclavicular lymph nodes were also irradiated with an anterior mixed photon–electron field. The radiation field was planned using a patient-specific treatment planning computed tomography (CT). Radiation dose was 50 Gy in 25 fractions. Radiation effect on cardiac function