title: Diagnosis of sporadic transthyretin Val30Met familial amyloid polyneuropathy: a practical analysis.
abstract: Transthyretin (TTR) Val30Met-associated familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP ATTR Val30Met) is the most common form of FAP and is now prevalent in areas other than those seen within conventional endemic foci. We investigated 15 patients with FAP ATTR Val30Met without a family history of FAP who were referred for sural nerve biopsy. Initial symptoms included somatic neuropathy in all patients, while sensory dissociation and autonomic symptoms were apparent only in two and seven patients, respectively. Nonspecific neuropathic features and slight abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid protein levels and in electrophysiological indices related to nerve conduction led clinicians to initially suspect chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in some patients. Small-fiber predominant loss was observed in a minority of patients. In terms of cardiac involvement, findings suggestive of subclinical cardiomyopathy due to amyloid deposition, such as cardiomegaly on chest X-ray, thickening of the interventricular septum, and granular sparkling echo on echocardiography, were seen alone or in combination in 11 of 14 examined patients. In conclusion, clinicians should consider the possibility of FAP ATTR Val30Met in patients presenting with neuropathy of undetermined etiology to avoid misdiagnosis. Detecting subclinical cardiac involvement may help to diagnose late-onset FAP ATTR Val30Met in those without a family history of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawagashira
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D028227:Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D017354:Point Mutation; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000235:genetics*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin