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Amyloid cardiomyopathy: a hidden heart failure cause that is often misdiagnosed.

Authors :
Tung-Chen Y
Arnau MÁ
Source :
Acta clinica Belgica [Acta Clin Belg] 2018 Dec; Vol. 73 (6), pp. 460-461. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Apr 17.
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a very common condition, especially in the elderly, characterized by dyspnea, orthopnea, nocturnal paroxysmal dyspnea, and peripheral edema.<br />Clinical Presentation and Intervention: We report the case of a 76-year-old with CHF symptoms for the last 3 months. The ECG and transthoracic echocardiogram were suggestive of CHF due to amyloid cardiomyopathy. After cardiac MRI, a positive Congo red staining of subcutaneous fat aspiration and a negative genetic testing for mutant transthyretin, senile amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTRw) was expected.<br />Conclusion: Cardiac amyloidosis is remarkably underdiagnosed. Mostly, the treatment is supportive and differs from other typical causes of CHF, and thus, a high index of suspicion is required.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2295-3337
Volume :
73
Issue :
6
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Acta clinica Belgica
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
29663861
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.2018.1461179