title: Transesophageal Echocardiography and Radiation-induced Damages.
abstract: The long-term sequelae of mantle therapy include, especially lung and cardiac disease but also involve the vessels and the organs in the neck and thorax (such as thyroid, aorta, and esophagus). We presented the case of 66-year-old female admitted for congestive heart failure in radiation-induced heart disease. The patient had undergone to massive radiotherapy 42 years ago for Hodgkin's disease (type 1A). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed unsuccessfully with difficulty because of the rigidity and impedance of esophageal walls. Our case is an extraordinary report of radiotherapy's latency effect as a result of dramatic changes in the structure of mediastinum, in particular in the esophagus, causing unavailability of a transesophageal echocardiogram.
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Cardiac Surgery Unit and Heart Transplantation Center, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cottini
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Cardiac Surgery Unit and Heart Transplantation Center, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Cardiac Surgery Unit and Heart Transplantation Center, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo Giuseppe
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Cardiac Surgery Unit and Heart Transplantation Center, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buffa
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Cardiac Surgery Unit and Heart Transplantation Center, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Musumeci
keywords: Constrictive pericarditis; esophageal fibrosis; radiation-induced damage; transesophageal echocardiogram