Cases from a busy nuclear cardiology laboratory: Potential pitfalls in the interpretation of cardiac scintigraphy for ATTR cardiac amyloidosis

J Nucl Cardiol. 2021 Apr;28(2):653-660. doi: 10.1007/s12350-020-02094-4. Epub 2020 May 7.

Abstract

Cardiac scintigraphy has emerged as a key diagnostic test for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). However, there are potential limitations and pitfalls in the interpretation of cardiac scintigraphy for ATTR-CA that are worth noting. We present here a series of three cases which illustrate some of these important principles.

Keywords: Amyloid heart disease; SPECT; heart failure; image interpretation; multimodality; others.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cardiac Imaging Techniques / methods*
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Substances

  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate

Supplementary concepts

  • Amyloidosis, Hereditary, Transthyretin-Related