MRI and echocardiography in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the values of MRI and echocardiography for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Methods Eleven cases with CA proved pathologically performed MRI and echocardiography, the findings were analyzed retrospectively. Results The characteristic features of cardiac amyloidosis on MRI and echocardiography werediffuse slight myocardial thickening of the left ventricular wall and interventricular septum (11 cases ), slight myocardial thickening of the interatrial septum (5 cases), increased left ventricular mass (7 cases), enlarged left atrium ( 7 cases), impaired ventricular systolic and diastolic function (10 cases ), pleural and pericardial effusions (11 and 9 cases ).Echocardiography showed that myocardium was hyperechoic and presented as ground glass with some spotty hyperechoes in 6 cases. MRI revealed a distinct diffuse delayed enhancement of subendocardial and entire myocardium in 8 cases. Conclusion Doppler echocardiography is the first-choice imaging technique and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can provide more information for the diagnosis of CA.