TRANSTHYRETIN CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS: PARTICULARITIES IN NORTH-EASTERN ROMANIA
Abstract
Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is characterized by progressive thickening of both ventricles and interatrial septum. The diagnostic algorithm is based on a correlation between biomarkers, electrocardiography, ultrasonography and bone scintigraphy criteria. However, epidemiological data may offer a glimpse for a possible ATTR-CA even before other investigations. The aim of this study is to determine the profile of the ideal ATTR-CA patient based on patient’s epidemiology. Materials and methods: 72 patients (suspected, accidentally diagnosed or diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis) over the course of 7 years from the archive of the Nuclear Medicine Laboratory of “Sf. Spiridon” County Clinical Emergency Hospital were analyzed. ATTR-CA diagnoses was made by bone scintigraphy, reducing the group to 20 patients. Epidemiological parameters included: patient’s gender, age, height, weight and provenance region. Results: Gender classification revealed an equal distribution among ATTR-CA positive patients, aged between 30-89 years old and from Iași County. Endomyocardial biopsy (gold standard method) is an invasive and not widely accessible method. Correlation between biomarkers, electrocardiography, ultrasonography and bone scintigraphy criteria represents the alternative method for diagnosing this rare disease. However, a profile of the standard ATTR-CA patient based on epidemiological data may offer a possible insight for directing the diagnosing algorithm to include this pathology. Conclusions: Epidemiological data may offer a possible profile of the standard patient that can be suspected of ATTR-CA, therefore increasing the accuracy of diagnosing this disease.
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