Advanced Imaging in Cardiac Amyloidosis

Challenges and Uncertainties in the Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Case Report

Amyloidosis is the condition when starch-like misfolded proteins form insoluble fibrils that deposit in tissues and cause dysfunction. Cardiac amyloidosis occurs due to the deposition of amyloid fibrils at the cardiac level and is an important cause of heart failure. This case reveals a patient with significant heart failure and arrhythmia, which later on turned out to be caused by cardiac amyloidosis. While regarded as a rare disease in practice, in retrospect, there are a lot of signs and imaging indicators, particularly in echocardiography that warrant an investigation of cardiac amyloidosis. In this case review, red flags in echocardiography that should endorse further testing for underlying cardiac amyloidosis are highlighted.

A review of recent advances in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, treatment of its cardiac complications, and disease-modifying therapies

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA), a significant condition resulting in infiltrative cardiomyopathy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), is caused by extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils in the heart. Even though this has been known for an extended period, its prevalence in elderly patients with heart failure is increasingly being recognized. Recent advances in diagnosis with non-invasive methods like technetium pyrophosphate-labeled cardiac scintigraphy (i.e., Tc-PYP scan) and treatment options with tafamidis have played a pivotal role in awareness of the burden of this disease. Management of cardiac complications like heart failure, atrial arrhythmias, conduction block, ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and aortic stenosis is now more critical than ever. We aim to review and outline the recent advances in diagnoses of CA. We also review management strategies for cardiac complications of CA with a brief summary of disease-modifying therapies.

Non-LGE Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Cardiac Amyloidosis

Cardiac involvement is the leading cause of death in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. Early recognition is crucial as it can significantly change the course of the disease. Until now, the imaging modality of choice for diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis has been cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). LGE-CMR in patients with cardiac amyloidosis reveals characteristic LGE patterns that lead to a diagnosis while also correlating well with disease prognosis. However, LGE-CMR has numerous drawbacks that the newer CMR modality, T1 mapping, aims to improve. T1 mapping can be further subdivided into native T1 mapping, which does not require the use of contrast, and ECV measurement, which requires the use of contrast. Numerous T1 mapping techniques have been developed, each one with its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to procedure difficulty and image quality. A literature review to identify relevant published articles was performed by two authors. This review aimed to present the value of T1 mapping in diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis, quantifying the amyloid burden, and evaluating the prognosis of patients with amyloidosis with cardiac involvement.

Noncardiac Manifestations of Hereditary Amyloidosis

The most common forms of cardiac amyloidosis are progressive, life threatening, and underrecognized. Symptoms affect a variety of organs and overlap with those of more common conditions, complicating and postponing diagnosis. Cardiac disease generally determines mortality, but noncardiac manifestations typically surface before cardiac symptoms, often several years before diagnosis. Familiarity with noncardiac manifestations may lead to early diagnosis, enabling treatment and improving prognosis.