Cardiac Amyloidosis: Infiltrative Cardiomyopathy with Restrictive Hemodynamic Behavior – Case Report

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a rare heterogeneous group of disorders that occur with the extracellular deposition of fibrillar protein aggregates in the tissues and organs. Here we report the case of a 76-year-old with a 2-month history of progressive dyspnea on minimal effort. In the investigation, a global cardiac increase was observed, and echocardiography showed infiltrative restrictive heart disease and a pericardial effusion. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings were highly suggestive of cardiac amyloidosis. Thus, as reported here, cardiac involvement primarily manifests as restrictive cardiomyopathy, a chronic heart failure with a difficult-to-diagnose etiology in patients over 50 years of age and a very poor prognosis. Thus, although it remains a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, cardiac amyloidosis must always be considered in the absence of another cause of such findings.