Focal fibrosis in the left ventricle of subjects with cardiac amyloidosis evaluated by multislice computed tomography

Int J Cardiol. 2007 Oct 31;122(1):72-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2006.11.036. Epub 2007 Jan 17.

Abstract

Cardiac amyloidosis is generally a progressive disease with a poor prognosis, so early diagnosis and appropriate treatments are important. Although cardiac amyloidosis can be diagnosed definitively by endomyocardial biopsy, non-invasive methods of diagnosis are desired because of a great risk in biopsy. In ECG-gated enhanced multislice computed tomography, not only clear images of the cardiac morphology but also the character of myocardium indicating fibrosis can be identified. We demonstrate two patients with cardiac amyloidosis who showed marked thickening of left ventricular wall with partial fibrotic changes by enhanced multislice computed tomography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Amyloidosis / complications*
  • Amyloidosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Amyloidosis / pathology
  • Cardiomyopathies / complications*
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cardiomyopathies / pathology
  • Fibrosis
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed