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Use of Noninvasive Imaging in Cardiac Amyloidosis

  • Cardio-oncology (M Fradley, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Cardiac involvement in amyloidosis is associated with poor outcomes. The standard test for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis is endomyocardial biopsy but given current advances in noninvasive imaging, the diagnosis is frequently obtained or strongly suspected without biopsy. Echocardiography is the most utilized cardiac imaging modality, particularly myocardial strain measures with this modality have been found to be a predictor of clinical outcomes, superior to traditional parameters. Other known imaging modalities with new, useful protocols for this pathology include nuclear imaging and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). In particular, CMR has excellent sensitivity and specificity.

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Abbreviations

AL:

Light chain amyloidosis

ATTR:

Transthyretin amyloidosis

CA:

Cardiac amyloidosis

LV:

Left ventricle

STE:

Speckle-tracking echocardiography

PET:

Positron emission tomography

CMR:

Cardiac magnetic resonance

LGE:

Late-gadolinium enhancement

PSIR:

Phase-sensitive inversion recovery

MACE:

Major adverse cardiac event

HFpEF:

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd. Unit 1451, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Raymundo Alain Quintana-Quezada MD, Syed Wamique Yusuf MD & Jose Banchs MD

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  1. Raymundo Alain Quintana-Quezada MD
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Correspondence to Jose Banchs MD.

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Quintana-Quezada, R.A., Yusuf, S.W. & Banchs, J. Use of Noninvasive Imaging in Cardiac Amyloidosis. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 18, 46 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-016-0469-3

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