A Gluteus Medius Muscle Biopsy to Confirm Amyloid Transthyretin Deposition in Wild-type Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Report of Two Cases

Intern Med. 2024 Jun 1;63(11):1575-1584. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2742-23. Epub 2023 Oct 27.

Abstract

In patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt-CA), the uptake of the tracer on technetium-99m-labeled pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) scintigraphy, which indicates amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) per se, is often observed in skeletal muscles, such as the abdominal oblique and gluteal muscles. Among extracardiac biopsies for confirming ATTR deposition in ATTRwt-CA, a 99mTc-PYP imaging-based computed tomography (CT)-guided core needle biopsy of the internal oblique muscle has relatively high sensitivity. In some patients, the 99mTc-PYP uptake is more pronounced in the gluteal muscles than in oblique muscles. We herein report two cases of ATTRwt-CA in which a CT-guided biopsy of the gluteus medius muscle with 99mTc-PYP uptake confirmed the presence of ATTR deposits.

Keywords: bone-avid tracer; case report; computed tomography; core needle biopsy; gluteus medius muscle; wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial* / diagnosis
  • Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial* / diagnostic imaging
  • Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial* / metabolism
  • Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial* / pathology
  • Biopsy
  • Buttocks / diagnostic imaging
  • Buttocks / pathology
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnosis
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiomyopathies / metabolism
  • Cardiomyopathies / pathology
  • Humans
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / diagnostic imaging
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / pathology
  • Prealbumin* / genetics
  • Prealbumin* / metabolism
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Prealbumin
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate

Supplementary concepts

  • Amyloidosis, Hereditary, Transthyretin-Related