[Diagnosis of adriamycin myocardiopathy using echocardiography].

27 patients with a mean cumulative dose of 450 +/- 150 mg adriamycin for the treatment of solid malignoma and clinical symptoms of left heart failure are examined by echocardiography. 14 patients had an abnormal ejection fraction, 21 patients an abnormal mean circumferential fiber shortening and 4 patients presented with pericardial effusion. The results demonstrate that echocardiography is a safe, noninvasive and reliable method for diagnosing a reduced left ventricular function in patients treated with adriamycin.