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Case Reports
. 2018 Mar 15;10(3):e2330.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.2330.

Cardiac Amyloidosis Diagnosis with Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report

Meidi El Issa  1 , Malik El Issa  2 , Besma Sidia  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cardiac Amyloidosis Diagnosis with Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report

Meidi El Issa et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a rare disease, which can affect various organs, such as the kidneys, heart, liver, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and the nervous system. It still has a bad prognosis nowadays, despite chemotherapy and the new biotherapies. Its physiopathology corresponds to an irreversible, extracellular accumulation of fibrillous proteins in the tissues. Notwithstanding the fact that a clear diagnosis can be made with histology (of solid injured organs or a subcutaneous biopsy), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can show various advantages, especially to prove cardiac involvement, with great specificity and sensibility as well. Consequently, the MRI's place can be considered a cornerstone of the diagnosis; more so because biopsies are not routine and easy procedures. Moreover, amyloidosis includes several symptoms, which are sometimes tricky, so the clinician should swiftly consider the usefulness of MRI to get the patient well-oriented and treated.

Keywords: cardiac amyloïdosis; enhancement; left ventricle; mri; protein; right ventricle.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Patient's electrocardiogram (ECG)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Echocardiography report
Figure 3
Figure 3. Enhancement of the interventricular septum (SSFP film sequence injected)
SSFP: steady state free precession
Figure 4
Figure 4. Late subendocardial enhancement at the base of the free wall of the right ventricle (SSFP film)
SSFP: steady state free precession
Figure 5
Figure 5. Enhancement of the medio-ventricular anterolateral and infero medial wall of the right ventricle (SSFP film sequence injected)
SSFP: steady state free precession
Figure 6
Figure 6. Late enhancement of the left ventricle (sequence in Look-Locker)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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