Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of an infant with HCM during ACTH therapy.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy is useful in the treatment of patients with West syndrome, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in association with ACTH therapy has recently been reported. We describe the Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of an infant who had West syndrome and HCM. ACTH therapy produced increases in the interventricular septal thickness, the pressure gradient of the left ventricular outflow tract, and the heart rate. Doppler echocardiographic examination was found to be much more sensitive for monitoring the cardiac changes than either 2-dimensional echocardiography or the heart rate.