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The utility of positron emission tomography in cardiac amyloidosis

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Abstract

Cardiac amyloidosis, characterized by progressive restrictive cardiomyopathy, presents unusual diagnostic challenges. Conventional cardiac scintigraphy has shown limited utility in the quantification of disease burden and serial follow-up of cardiac amyloidosis. The advent of specialized positron emission tomography with specific amyloid-binding radiotracers has the potential to change currently employed diagnostic algorithms for the imaging of cardiac amyloidosis. This review aims to discuss the diagnostic utility of amyloid-binding radiotracers, including Pittsburg compound B, florbetapir, florbetapan, and sodium fluoride. These tracers have promising potential for the early detection of the particular type of cardiac amyloidosis, pursuing relevant medical intervention, assessing amyloid burden, monitoring treatment response, and overall prognostication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crozer Keystone Health System, Upland, PA, USA

    Subha Saeed

  2. Houston Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Jean Michel Saad, Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, Yushui Han & Mouaz H. Al-Mallah

  3. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY, USA

    Mouaz H. Al-Mallah

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  1. Subha Saeed
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  5. Mouaz H. Al-Mallah
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Correspondence to Mouaz H. Al-Mallah.

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Saeed, S., Saad, J.M., Ahmed, A.I. et al. The utility of positron emission tomography in cardiac amyloidosis. Heart Fail Rev 27, 1531–1541 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-021-10183-w

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