Cardiac Amyloid for the Internist

Abstract

Cardiac amyloid is an uncommon cause of diastolic dysfunction the recognition of which requires the internist to have clinical suspicion to guide diagnosis and treatment. Cardiac amyloid is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy with significant morbidity and mortality. Appropriate diagnosis is important because management of cardiac amyloid differs from typical heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. An astute internist must be able to recognize common findings of cardiac amyloidosis. Here we present a case of a patient presenting with diastolic heart failure and the steps leading towards diagnosis and subsequent treatment.