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Nuclear imaging modalities for cardiac amyloidosis

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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by localized or systemic deposition of insoluble extracellular fibrillary proteins in organs and tissues. Several types of amyloid can infiltrate the heart resulting in a restrictive cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Scintigraphy is a noninvasive method that may facilitate early diagnosis, distinguish various forms of cardiac amyloid, and may be useful in following disease burden. The amyloid-specific tracers presented in this article have been used with planar imaging and/or single-photon emission computed tomography. To date, there are no approved cardiac amyloid tracers although investigational tracers are currently under examination. This article serves to review the current nuclear imaging modalities available in the detection of cardiac amyloid.

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Disclosures

Dr Maurer is supported by a K24 Award from the National Institute on Aging (AG036778-02), receives research support from Alnylam and Pfizer and serves on the executive board of Transthyretin Amyloid Outcomes Survey (THAOS) an international registry of patients with ATTR amyloidosis, and funded by FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, New York, NY, USA

    Sabahat Bokhari MD & Reehan Shahzad MD

  2. Center for Advanced Cardiac Care, Division of Cardiology, Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

    Adam Castaño MD & Mathew S. Maurer MD

  3. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Sabahat Bokhari MD

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  1. Sabahat Bokhari MD
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  4. Mathew S. Maurer MD
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Correspondence to Sabahat Bokhari MD.

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Bokhari, S., Shahzad, R., Castaño, A. et al. Nuclear imaging modalities for cardiac amyloidosis. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 21, 175–184 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-013-9803-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-013-9803-2

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