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Echocardiographic features of primary, secondary and familial amyloidosis
Author(s) -
Moyssakis I.,
Triposkiadis F.,
Rallidis L.,
Hawkins P.,
Kyriakidis M.,
Nihoyannopoulos P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2362.1999.00478.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amyloidosis , cardiac amyloidosis , cardiology , al amyloidosis , carcinoid heart disease , gastroenterology , carcinoid syndrome , antibody , immunology , immunoglobulin light chain
Background Currently recognized types of amyloidosis include primary, familial and secondary, each of which may affect the heart. There may be differences in the heart response to the deposition of amyloid fibrils in these three forms of the disease. Materials and methods Over a period of 10 years (1985–95), 28 consecutive patients with primary, 11 with secondary and 17 with familial amyloidosis were studied at the Departments of Cardiology of Laiko and Hammersmith Hospitals. The diagnosis of amyloidosis was confirmed by biopsies of subcutaneous fat, rectum, kidney, bone marrow, gum or sural nerve. Diagnosis of cardiac involvement was based on typical electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings. Results The left ventricular fractional shortening (%) was reduced in primary compared with familial or secondary amyloidosis (29.8 ± 10.2 vs. 36.2 ± 6.5 vs. 36 ± 5.9, P < 0.05). The transmitral flow velocity pattern was compatible with abnormal relaxation in most patients in the three groups [primary 16 (57%), familial 11 (64.7%), secondary 6 (54.5%), P = NS]. Right ventricular systolic dysfunction (right ventricular d P /d t < 220 mmHg s −1 or tricuspid annulus systolic excursion < 10 mm) was present in 8 (28.6%), 2 (11.8%) and 0 patients. Patients with primary amyloidosis were followed up for 15 ± 6 months. There were 12 deaths, and repeat echocardiography in the survivors revealed a significant deterioration of left ventricular systolic function (fractional shortening = 23.6% ± 8.8%, P < 0.05 vs. baseline). Conclusion Primary amyloidosis is characterized by more severe cardiac involvement than the familial or secondary amyloidosis and has an ominous course.