Abstract
It has been reported that an enlargement of the heart is observed at times after radiation therapy of certain malignant tumors grown in areas adjacent to the heart, such as esophageal, bronchial or breast cancer.
Changes in heart by therapeutic irradiation on such cases were studied radiologically.
1) The heart enlargement was found to be more frepuent by doses of X-irradiation on a wide area of the heart, and fewer by them on a small area, by measuring planimetrically the size of the heart after the postoperative irradiation of right and left breast cancers.
2) This effect was often detected at the period between 1.5 and 7 months after irradiation, however, after then a significant recovery toward preirradiation levels was observed.
3) It is suggested that this effect is associated with pericardial effusion as a result of radiation serositis.
