title: Cardiac amyloidosis masquerading as biventricular hypertrophy in a patient with multiple myeloma.
abstract: Cardiac amyloidosis or amyloid cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder characterised by extracellular deposition of insoluble polymers composed of low-molecular-weight subunit proteins within the myocardium. This often results in an infiltrative cardiomyopathy with restrictive pathophysiology, leading to progressive heart failure. In this report, we present an interesting case of cardiac amyloidosis that eventually led to the diagnosis of underlying multiple myeloma in a patient with no previous cardiac history. Cardiac amyloidosis should be suspected in patients with unexplained congestive heart-failure symptoms accompanied by low-voltage complexes on ECG, preserved ejection fraction with asymmetric ventricular hypertrophy and abnormal myocardial texture, described as 'granular sparkling' on echocardiogram. Patients with cardiac amyloidosis should be closely monitored as mortality remains high, despite advances in treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Haseeb Ilias
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Basha
authors.forename: Ethiraj
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bachuwa
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
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