Hydroxychloroquine-induced cardiomyopathy: role of cardiac magnetic resonance for the diagnosis and follow-up of a very rare entity-a case report.

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a disease-modifying antirheumatic used in rheumatological diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Long-term exposure to HCQ results in drug accumulation and predisposes to adverse effects. Case summary: We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with long-term treatment with HCQ who presented to the Emergency Department with acute heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiogram, previously normal, showed severe biventricular hypertrophy and biventricular systolic dysfunction. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) confirmed the previous findings and showed elevated native T1 and T2 values, elevated extracellular volume, and extensive mid-wall late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Infiltrative cardiomyopathy was suspected, and endomyocardial biopsy performed. Light microscopy showed myocyte hypertrophy and vacuolar change and absence of lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrates. The diagnosis of HCQ-induced cardiomyopathy was established, and the drug was withdrawn. A CMR performed 1 year later showed normal systolic function of both ventricles and normalization of T2 values, reflecting resolution of myocardial oedema. However, severe hypertrophy, elevated native T1 values, and LGE persisted. Discussion: Our case shows that although discontinuation of the drug stops the progression of the disease, established myocardial structural damage persists. Early diagnosis of this entity is therefore essential to improve prognosis.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Stress Cardiomyopathy: Differential Diagnosis and Key Role of Cardiac Imaging.

A 76-year-old man with stage IV urothelial carcinoma who was receiving atezolizumab presented with dyspnea, elevated cardiac biomarkers, new negative T waves, and left ventricular apical akinesia. Coronary angiography results were normal. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis was suspected, and high-dose corticosteroid treatment was started. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed apical edema, suggesting stress cardiomyopathy. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

CMR imaging biosignature of cardiac involvement due to cancer-related treatment by T1 and T2 mapping.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related treatment is associated with development of heart failure and poor outcome in cancer-survivors. T1 and T2 mapping by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) may detect myocardial injury due to cancer-related treatment. METHODS: Patients receiving cancer-related treatment regimes underwent screening of cardiac involvement with CMR, either within 3 months (early Tx) or >12 months (late Tx) post-treatment. T1 and T2 mapping, cardiac function, strain, ischaemia-testing, scar-imaging and serological cardiac biomarkers were obtained. RESULTS: Compared to age/gender matched controls (n = 57), patients (n = 115, age (yrs): median(IQR) 48(28-60), females, n = 60(52%) had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) and strain, and higher native T1 and T2. The early Tx group (n = 52) had significantly higher native T1, T2 and troponin levels compared to the late Tx group, indicating myocardial inflammation and oedema (p < 0.01). On the contrary, late Tx patients showed raised native T1, increased LV-end-systolic volumes, reduced LV-EF and deformation, and elevated NT-proBNP, suggesting myocardial fibrosis and remodelling (p < 0.05). Prospective validation of these results in an independent cohort of patients with similar treatment regimens (n = 25) and longitudinal assessments revealed high concordance of CMR imaging signatures of early and late cardiac involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Native T1 and T2 mapping can be valuable in detecting and monitoring of cardiac involvement with cancer-related treatment, providing distinct biosignatures of early inflammatory involvement (raised native T1 and T2) and interstitial fibrosis and remodelling (raised native T1 but not T2), respectively. Our findings may provide an algorithm allowing to identify susceptible myocardium to potentially guide cardio-protective treatment measures.

Cardio-Onco-Hematology in Clinical Practice. Position Paper and Recommendations.

Improvements in early detection and treatment have markedly reduced cancer-related mortality. However survival not only depends on effectively cure cancer, but prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer-related complications is also needed. Cardiovascular toxicity is a widespread problem across many classes of therapeutic schemes, however scientific evidence in the management of cardiovascular complications of onco-hematological patients is scarce, as these patients have been systematically excluded from clinical trials and current recommendations are based on expert consensus. Multidisciplinary teams are mandatory to decrease morbidity and mortality from both cardiotoxicity and cancer itself. An excessive concern for the occurrence of cardiovascular toxicity, can avoid potentially curative therapies, while underestimating this risk, increases long-term mortality of cancer survivors. The objective of this consensus document, developed in collaboration of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology and the Spanish Society of Hematology, is to update the necessary concepts and expertise on cardio-onco-hematology that enable its application in daily clinical practice and to promote the development of local multidisciplinary teams, to improve the cardiovascular health of patients with cancer.