Left atrial longitudinal strain analysis in diagnostic of cardiotoxicity

• Published in: Digital diagnostics Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 119 - 130
• Main Authors: Yusupova, Anastasiya V., Yusupov, Einar S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Eco-Vector 14.07.2022
• Subjects: anthracycline; cardiotoxic agent; left atrial function; left ventricular dysfunction; transthoracic echocardiography
• ISSN: 2712-8490; 2712-8962
• DOI: 10.17816/DD108243

A wide range of extremely effective chemotherapy drugs has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system, leveling oncological treatment success. Early diagnosis of cardiotoxicity is very important, allowing timely application of preventive and therapeutic measures. Left ventricular ejection fraction evaluation using echocardiography is the basic non-invasive instrumental method to assess cardiac function and the main guideline in cardiac dysfunction diagnosis during chemotherapy. However, if dysfunction is subclinical, the ejection fraction can remain normal for a long time, and also has a pronounced inter-operator variability and dependence on volumetric load. Specialists are constantly in search of optimal echocardiographic parameters that allow early-stage cardiac dysfunction diagnosis. Analysis of the global longitudinal deformation of the left atrium seems to be a promising method for these purposes. A large amount of accumulated data suggests that the left atrium is not just a conduit chamber, but a reflection of the filling pressure of the left ventricle, being a sensitive marker of its systolic and diastolic dysfunction. This review presents an analysis of currently available studies on applying the methodology for assessing global longitudinal deformation of the left atrium in cardiac dysfunction diagnosis in the use of cardiotoxic drugs.