Use of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation for relief of outflow tract obstruction in cardiac amyloidosis: A novel therapeutic target

Cardiac amyloidosis typically presents with diastolic heart failure, but asymmetrical septal hypertrophy with outflow tract obstruction has been described. We illustrate the case of a 71‐year‐old woman with biopsy‐proven cardiac amyloidosis and severe medical comorbidities with refractory severe heart failure who had asymmetric septal hypertrophy, systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve, and a resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient of 86 mm Hg, increasing to 102 mm Hg on Valsalva maneuver. She underwent percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) with a dramatic resolution of her SAM and outflow tract obstruction, confirmed by intracavitary pressure wire measurements. PTSMA is technically feasible in this context, and correction of outflow tract obstruction may represent a new therapeutic target in cardiac amyloidosis. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.