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Cardiac amyloidosis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Amyloidosis - cardiac; Primary cardiac amyloidosis - AL type; Secondary cardiac amyloidosis - AA type; Stiff heart syndrome; Senile amyloidosis

Symptoms:

Excessive urination at night
Fatigue, reduced activity tolerance
Palpitations (sensation of feeling heart beat)
Shortness of breath with activity
Swelling of legs, ankles, or other part of the body (See: abdominal swelling)
Trouble breathing while lying down

Some patients may have no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

It can be difficult to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis, because the signs can be related to a number of different conditions.

Signs may include:

Abnormal sounds in the lung (lung crackles) or a heart murmur
Blood pressure that is low or drops when you stand up
Enlarged neck veins
Swollen liver

The following tests may be performed to help diagnose cardiac amyloidosis:

Chest or abdomen CT scan (this is considered the "gold standard")
Coronary angiography
Echocardiogram
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Nuclear heart scans (MUGA, RNV)

An ECG may show problems with the heart beat or heart signals (conduction disturbance).

A cardiac biopsy is used to confirm the diagnosis. A biopsy of another area, such as the abdomen, kidney, or bone marrow, is often done to confirm the diagnosis.

Heart, section through the middle

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Reviewed last on: 6/1/2010
Issam Mikati, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Director, Northwestern Clinic Echocardiography Lab, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Hare JM. The Dilated, Restrictive, and Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 64.

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