title: Nuclear imaging for cardiac amyloidosis.
abstract: Histological analysis of endomyocardial tissue is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, but has its limitations. Accordingly, there is a need for non-invasive modalities to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis. Echocardiography and ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can show characteristics which may not be very specific for cardiac amyloid. Nuclear medicine has gained a precise role in this context: several imaging modalities have become available for the diagnosis and prognostic stratification of cardiac amyloidosis during the last two decades. The different classes of radiopharmaceuticals have the potential to bind different constituents of the amyloidotic infiltrates, with some relevant differences among the various aetiologic types of amyloidosis and the different organs and tissues involved. This review focuses on the background of the commonly used modalities, their present clinical applications, and future clinical perspectives in imaging patients with (suspected) cardiac amyloidosis. The main focus is on conventional nuclear medicine (bone scintigraphy, cardiac sympathetic innervation) and positron emission tomography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands, w.noordzij@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Noordzij
authors.forename: Andor W J M
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Glaudemans
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longhi
authors.forename: Riemer H J A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Slart
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzini
authors.forename: Bouke P C
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hazenberg
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rapezzi
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009683:Nuclear Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000097:blood; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals