Title:Imaging Techniques as an Aid in the Early Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis
Volume: 27
Issue: 16
Author(s): M.F. Santarelli*, M. Scipioni, D. Genovesi, A. Giorgetti, P. Marzullo and L. Landini
Affiliation:
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa,Italy
Keywords:
Cardiac amyloidosis (CA), immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL), transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), imaging techniques
in cardiac amyloidosis, pathology, imaging methodologies.
Abstract:
The idea that performing a proper succession of imaging tests and techniques allows an accurate and
early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, avoiding the need to perform the myocardial biopsy, is becoming increasingly
popular. Furthermore, being imaging techniques non-invasive, it is possible to perform the follow-up of the
pathology through repeated image acquisitions.
In the present review, the various innovative imaging methodologies are presented, and it is discussed how they
have been applied for early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA), also to distinguish the two most frequent
subtypes in CA: immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) and transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR); this allows
to perform the therapy in a targeted and rapid manner.