Atrial thrombosis in cardiac amyloidosis: diagnostic contribution of transesophageal echocardiography.
Few cases of atrial thrombosis detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cardiac amyloidosis have been reported recently. We present the cases of 3 consecutive patients affected by AL-type cardiac amyloidosis, symptomatic for heart failure and in sinus rhythm. All patients had a cardiac restrictive pattern at Doppler examination. TEE showed left atrial thrombus in 2 patients and biatrial thrombi in 1 patient; conventional transthoracic echocardiography detected only 1 left atrial thrombus. Our experience confirms the association between cardiac amyloidosis and atrial thrombosis, even in sinus rhythm. TEE should be considered to assess thromboembolic risk in all cases of cardiac amyloidosis with severe diastolic dysfunction.
Santarone
M
M
Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Valduce, Como, Italy. mlvsant@tin.it
Corrado
G
G
Tagliagambe
L M
LM
Manzillo
G F
GF
Tadeo
G
G
Spata
M
M
Longhi
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*