Cardiotoxicity – basic terms and mechanisms

Czech version

Authors: R. Pudil
Authors‘ workplace: I. interní kardioangiologická klinika LF UK a FN Hradec Králové
Published in: Kardiol Rev Int Med 2017, 19(1): 7-10

Overview

Cardiotoxicity represents a very serious adverse effect of anti-tumour therapy. Cardiotoxicity includes a broad spectrum of symptoms: myocardial dysfunction and heart failure, coronary artery disease, valvular disease, arrhythmias (especially those induced by QT-prolonging drugs), arterial hypertension, thromboembolic disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke, pulmonary hypertension and pericardial complications. The paper discusses the basic terms, mechanisms and diagnostic procedures for the detection of cardiotoxicity (ECG, echocardiography, CMR, biomarkers).

Keywords:
cardiotoxicity – heart failure – arrhythmias – electrocardiogram – echocardiography – cardiac markers

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