Noninvasive diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis by MRI and echochardiography

This study described the radiological features on echocardiography and MRI specific to cardiac amyloidosis confirmed on biopsy. Eleven cases of biopsy-proven cardiac amyloidosis were retrospectively reviewed in this study. All patients underwent biopsy, cardiac MRI and echocardiography. The main echocardiography and MRI findings were as follows: diffuse ventricular and septum wall thickening, atrial enlargement, pericardial effusion, restricted left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, characteristic granular sparkling of myocardium. MRI revealed a characteristic pattern of global subendocardial late enhancement, extending in varying degrees into the neighboring myocardium. The findings agreed with the infiltration distribution of amyloid protein. Typical abnormalities seen on echocardiography and MRI should have important diagnostic and prognostic value of cardiac amyloidosis. MRI should be considered in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis if echocardiographic features are suspicious.