scholarly journals Cardiac Amyloidosis: Internist and Cardiologist Insight

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 430-457
Author(s):  
E. V. Reznik ◽  
T. L. Nguyen ◽  
E. A. Stepanova ◽  
D. V. Ustyuzhanin ◽  
I. G. Nikitin

Cardiac amyloidosis (amyloid cardiomyopathy) is a disease damage to the heart caused by extracellular amyloid deposition. In some cases, there may be local damage to the structures of the heart, for example, the atria; more often, heart damage is part of a systemic (generalized) pathology. Depending on the amyloid precursor protein, 36 types of amyloidosis are described, among which hereditary and acquired forms are distinguished. Cardiac amyloidosis is diagnosed 1) in the case of the amyloid infiltration in the myocardial bioptates or 2) in the case of non-cardiac amyloid deposition and the left ventricular wall thickening >12 mm without arterial hypertension and other reasons. The heart is most often affected in AL-, ATTR-, AA-, AANF-types of amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis should be considered in patients with a heart failure with an unclear etiology, especially with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, refractory to treatment, with proteinuria and CKD 4-5, in patients with idiopathic atrial fibrillation and conduction disturbances, in patients with left ventricular wall thickening of unclear etiology, low ECG voltage, unexplained arterial hypotension and pulmonary hypertension. Screening for cardiac amyloidosis should include non-invasive methods such as electrophoresis and immunofixation of blood and urine proteins, the free light lambda and kappa chains of immunoglobulins, 99Tc-DPD scintigraphy, genetic testing (if hereditary variants of amyloidosis are suspected), as well as a histological examination of biopsy samples stained with Congo red and polarizing microscopy.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Nicolas De Schryver ◽  
Delphine Hoton ◽  
Diego Castanares-Zapatero ◽  
Philippe Hantson

Background. Acute myocardial oedema has been documented in experimental models of ischemia-reperfusion injury or sepsis and is usually investigated by magnetic resonance imaging.Purpose. We describe a case of acute ventricular wall thickening documented by echocardiography in a patient developing sepsis and thrombotic microangiopathy.Case Description. A 40-year-old woman, with a history of mixed connective tissue disease, was admitted with laryngeal oedema and fever. She developedStreptococcus pneumoniaesepticaemia and subsequent laboratory abnormalities were consistent with a thrombotic microangiopathy. Echocardiography revealed an impressive diffuse thickening of the whole myocardium (interventricular septum 18 mm; posterior wall 16 mm) with diffuse hypokinesia and markedly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (31%). There was also a moderate pericardial effusion. Echocardiography was normal two months before. The patient died from acute heart failure. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the heart suggested that the ventricular wall thickening was induced by oedematous changes, together with an excess of inflammatory cells.Conclusion. Acute ventricular wall thickening that corresponded to myocardial oedema as a first hypothesis was observed at echocardiography during the course of septicaemia complicated by thrombotic microangiopathy.


1981 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natesa Pandian ◽  
David Skorton ◽  
Steve Collins ◽  
Ed Burke ◽  
Herman Falsetti ◽  
...  

Open Heart ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e001346
Author(s):  
Aénora Roger-Rollé ◽  
Eve Cariou ◽  
Khailène Rguez ◽  
Pauline Fournier ◽  
Yoan Lavie-Badie ◽  
...  

BackgroundCardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a life-threatening restrictive cardiomyopathy. Identifying patients with a poor prognosis is essential to ensure appropriate care. The aim of this study was to compare myocardial work (MW) indices with standard echocardiographic parameters in predicting mortality among patients with CA.MethodsClinical, biological and transthoracic echocardiographic parameters were retrospectively compared among 118 patients with CA. Global work index (GWI) was calculated as the area of left ventricular pressure–strain loop. Global work efficiency (GWE) was defined as percentage ratio of constructive work to sum of constructive and wasted works. Sixty-one (52%) patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise.ResultsGWI, GWE, global longitudinal strain (GLS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) were correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (R=−0.518, R=−0.383, R=−0.553, R=−0.382 and R=−0.336, respectively; p<0.001). GWI and GLS were correlated with peak oxygen consumption (R=0.359 and R=0.313, respectively; p<0.05). Twenty-eight (24%) patients died during a median follow-up of 11 (4–19) months. The best cut-off values to predict all-cause mortality for GWI, GWE, GLS, LVEF and MCF were 937 mm Hg/%, 89%, 10%, 52% and 15%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of GWE, GLS, GWI, LVEF and MCF were 0.689, 0.631, 0.626, 0.511 and 0.504, respectively.ConclusionIn CA population, MW indices are well correlated with known prognosis markers and are better than LVEF and MCF in predicting mortality. However, MW does not perform better than GLS.


2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ga Yeon Lee ◽  
Kihyun Kim ◽  
Jin-Oh Choi ◽  
Seok Jin Kim ◽  
Jung-Sun Kim ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (4) ◽  
pp. H1510-H1520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuo Takayama ◽  
Kevin D. Costa ◽  
James W. Covell

The ventricular myocardium consists of a syncytium of myocytes organized into branching, transmurally oriented laminar sheets approximately four cells thick. When systolic deformation is expressed in an axis system determined by the anatomy of the laminar architecture, laminar sheets of myocytes shear and laterally extend in an approximately radial direction. These deformations account for ∼90% of normal systolic wall thickening in the left ventricular free wall. In the present study, we investigated whether the changes in systolic and diastolic function of the sheets were sensitive to alterations in systolic and diastolic load. Our results indicate that there is substantial reorientation of the laminar architecture during systole and diastole. Moreover, this reorientation is both site and load dependent. Thus as end-diastolic pressure is increased and the left ventricular wall thins, sheets shorten and rotate away from the radial direction due to transverse shearing, opposite of what occurs in systole. Both mechanisms of thickening contribute substantially to normal left ventricular wall function. Whereas the relative contributions of shear and extension are comparable at the base, sheet shear is the predominant factor at the apex. The magnitude of shortening/extension and shear increases with preload and decreases with afterload. These findings underscore the essential contribution of the laminar myocardial architecture for normal ventricular function throughout the cardiac cycle.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M D M Perez Gil ◽  
V Mora Llabata ◽  
A Saad ◽  
A Sorribes Alonso ◽  
V Faga ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND New echocardiographic phenotypes of heart failure (HF) are focused on myocardial systolic involvement of the left ventricle (LV), either endocardial and/or transmural. PURPOSE. To study the pattern of myocardial involvement in patients (p) with HF with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (pLVEF) and cardiac amyloidosis (CA). METHODS. Comparative study of 16 p with CA and HF with pLVEF, considering as cut point LVEF &gt; 50%, in NYHA class ≥ II / IV, and a control group of 16 healthy people. Longitudinal Strain (LS) and Circumferential Strain (CS) were calculated using 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography, along with Mitral Annulus Plane Systolic Excursion (MAPSE) and Base-Apex distance (B-A). Also, the following indexes were calculated: Twist (apical rotation + basal rotation, º); Classic Torsion (TorC): (twist/B-A, º/cm); Torsion Index (Tor.I): (twist/MAPSE, º/cm) and Deformation Index (Def.I): (twist/LS, º). We suggest the introduction of these dynamic torsion indexes as Tor.I and Def.I that include twist per unit of longitudinal systolic shortening of the LV instead of using TorC which is the normalisation of twist to the end-diastolic longitudinal diameter of the LV. RESULTS There were no differences of age between the groups (68.2 ± 11.5 vs 63.7 ± 2.8 years, p = 0.14). Global values of LS and CS were lower in p with CA indicating endocardial and transmural deterioration during systole, while TorC and Twist of the LV remained conserved in p with CA. However, there is an increase of dynamic torsion parameters such as Tor.I and Def.I that show an increased Twist per unit of longitudinal shortening of the LV in the CA group (Table). CONCLUSIONS In p with CA and HF with pLVEF, the impairment of LS and CS indicates endocardial and transmural systolic dysfunction. In these conditions, LVEF would be preserved at the expense of a greater dynamic torsion of the LV. Table LS (%) CS (%) Twist (º) TorC (º/cm) Tor.I (º/cm) Def.I (º/%) CA pLVEF (n = 16) -11.7 ± 4.2 17.2 ± 4.8 19.8 ± 8.3 2.5 ± 1.1 27.7 ± 13.5 -1.8 ± 0.9 Control Group (n = 15) -20.6 ± 2.5 22.7 ± 4.9 21.7 ± 6.1 2.7 ± 0.8 16.4 ± 4.7 -1.0 ± 0.3 p &lt; 0.001 &lt; 0.01 0.46 0.46 &lt; 0.01 &lt; 0.01 Dynamic Torsion Indexes and Classic Torion Parameters in pLVEF CA patients vs Control group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Ramos Polo ◽  
S Moral Torres ◽  
C Tiron De Llano ◽  
M Morales Fornos ◽  
J M Frigola Marcet ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION Differential diagnosis by echocardiography between cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is based on the evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) of the entire myocardial wall. Nevertheless, histopathological studies describe a higher involvement of subendocardial tissue in CA. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the subanalysis of the GLS by layers (subendocardial and subepicardial) and segments (apical and basal) can provide further information. METHODS Retrospective study including 33 consecutive patients diagnosed with CA (with histological confirmation and imaging tests) or HCM by established criteria. Advanced myocardial deformation analysis software was used for both subendocardial and subepicardial evaluation of the left ventricle wall by transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS Seventeen patients (52%) had CA and sixteen (48%) had HCM. Differences were observed in LVEF (52.9 ± 10.9% vs 62.4 ±5.0%; p = 0.004), but not in the analysis of the entire wall GLS (-12.3 ± 4.9 vs -13.4 ± 2.8; p = 0.457) nor in the LVEF/GLS ratio (4.7 ± 1.4 vs 4.8 ± 1.1; p = 0.718). In the layered analysis there was no difference in subendocardial GLS (-16.2 ± 5.0 vs -16.4 ± 3.2%; p = 0.916) or subepicardial GLS (-11.7 ± 4.1 vs -11.6 ±2.7%; p = 0.945); however, the increase in GLS from base to apex was greater for CA than for HCM both at subepicardial level (increase: 101% vs 16%; p = 0.006) and subendocardial level (increase: 242% vs 114%; p = 0.006), with inversion of the greatest values for each group (Fig. 1).The ratio (apical GLS/basal GLS) was diagnostic predictor of CA (area under the curve = 86%; p = 0.002): a value &gt;2 presented a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 85% for the diagnosis of CA. CONCLUSIONS CA presents an impairment of both subendocardial and subepicardial deformation in transthoracic echocardiography. These patterns provide additional information on differential diagnosis with HCM. Abstract P940 Figure. Subendo vs subepicardial mean values


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