Cardiac amyloidosis:  what are the indications for transplant?
OBJECTIVE
We review the clinical and pathological features of the various types of amyloid that involve the heart, the diagnostic utility of endomyocardial biopsy, and the experience of patient survival and disease recurrence following cardiac transplant for amyloidosis.


RESULTS
Patient outcome is dependent on arresting the cause of amyloid as well as controlling the accumulated damage, which may involve multiple organs. As such, the stratification of patient suitability for cardiac transplant must be considered in conjunction with concurrent treatments, which may include autologous stem cell, liver or kidney transplant, and chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
As the efficacy of these therapies changes, the indications for cardiac transplantation need to be re-evaluated.
Division of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Scott H
SH
Bradshaw
John P
JP
Veinot
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001706:Biopsy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome