Tissue Doppler imaging in the evaluation of patients with cardiac amyloidosis.
OBJECTIVE
Although two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography have played a major role in the assessment of amyloid deposition in the heart, diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) based on these conventional techniques is often only possible once the disease is in a relatively advanced stage. To optimize survival, early diagnosis and institution of therapy are essential. Recently, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and myocardial strain rate (SR) have emerged as important clinical tools in the assessment of CA.


RESULTS
Tissue Doppler imaging-derived modalities including TDI velocities, strain, and SR are currently being used in the early diagnosis and evaluation of patients with CA. Although these new indices have been examined in relatively few patients, findings suggest an important and expanding role of TDI in amyloid infiltration of the heart.


CONCLUSIONS
This review summarizes the recent literature addressing the role of TDI velocities, strain, and SR in the diagnosis and assessment of CA.
Section of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
John A
JA
Sallach
Allan L
AL
Klein
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology