Echocardiographic abnormalities in acromegalic patients.

UNLABELLED: The aim of our study was the evaluation of the cardiac size and left ventricular function in 26 patients with acromegaly and 20 control subjects using echocardiography. The following parameters were evaluated: systolic and diastolic ventricular dimensions, diastolic posterior wall and interventricular septal thickness, left ventricle ejection fraction and left ventricular mass, amplitude of the posterior left ventricular wall movement, speed of the circular fibres shortening area of the left ventricular muscle and left ventricular contractility index.

RESULTS

In 91% of patients with acromegaly echocardiographic abnormalities were found. The most frequent were: concentric thickening of the left ventricular posterior wall in 38%, interventricular septal thickening in 54% and increased left ventricular mass in 84.6% of acromegalic patients. Left ventricular dimensions were increased: diastolic in 65.4% and systolic in 92% of patients. In 46% of cases the ejection fraction was decreased. There was no correlation between extent of the left ventricular hypertrophy and other echocardiographic abnormalities, serum growth hormone concentration, choice of therapy and duration of the disease.