title: Cardiac amyloidosis: an approach to diagnosis and management.
abstract: Cardiac amyloidosis is a myocardial disease characterized by extracellular amyloid infiltration throughout the heart. Cardiac amyloidosis has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations but the most frequent presentation is heart failure. Differential diagnoses from other restrictive cardiomyopathies is important. A combination of clinical, electrocardiographic and imaging methods is commonly used to diagnose this disease. Definite diagnosis is based on endomyocardial biopsy and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis is a challenge. Heart transplantation, although controversial, has demonstrated survival benefit.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Heart Failure and Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital, NCSB 11C-1201, 585 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 2N2, Canada.
authors.forename: Omaira
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Halwani
authors.forename: Diego H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Delgado
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004699:Endocardium / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D004232:Diuretics