Open Access Letter to the Editor

Tissue doppler echocardiography detects preclinical markers of cardiac lesion in MDS patients

Cláudio César M de Castro2, Carlos B Gondim Gomes1, Manoel Ricardo A Martins1, Juliana C de Sousa1, Silvia MM Magalhaes1 and Ronald F Pinheiro1,2,3*

Author Affiliations

1 Post-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

2 Post-Graduate Program of Pathology- Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil

3 R. Pereira Valente, 738, Meireles, 60160250, Fortaleza-Ceará, Brazil

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Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2012, 5:30 doi:10.1186/1756-8722-5-30

Published: 18 June 2012

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder of elderly people. Cardiac dysfunction is a marker of grim prognosis in MDS. We evaluated cardiac dysfunction of MDS patients with or without transfusion dependency by tissue doppler echocardiography. We found the average values of ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes in transfusion dependency MDS group higher than others. These results were strongly correlated to hemoglobin levels. Tissue Doppler Echocardiography should be routinely performed in MDS patients to detect preclinical cardiac alterations and prevent more heart insults in this group of chronic anemic aged patients.

Keywords:
Myelodysplastic syndrome; Comorbidity; Cardiac dysfunction