Cardiac amyloidosis

Abstract

Cardiac amyloidosis is an underdiagnosed disease despite the important diagnostic and therapeutic advances that determine a change in the classical paradigm of a rare and untreatable disease with poor prognosis. There are two main subtypes of amyloidosis that exhibit cardiac involvement, light chain amyloidosis and transthyretin amyloidosis, in its hereditary and wild-type forms. Their prognosis and treatment are completely different. A high index of clinical suspicion is essential to avoid diagnostic delays and to offer therapeutic options in order to improve patients’ survival. In this article, we will review how to diagnose these patients, including the possibility of non-invasive diagnosis, in which clinical settings these patients should be searched for and the current treatment and management options for this disease.