American Journal of Cardiology

Volume 101, Issue 5 , Pages 674-676, 1 March 2008

Light-Chain Amyloidosis With Echocardiographic

Features of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
 Danya L. Dinwoodey, MD
, 
 Martha Skinner, MD
, 
 Martin S. Maron, MD
, 
 Ravin Davidoff, MB, BCh
, 
 Frederick L. Ruberg, MD
Received 20 September 2007; received in revised form 21 October 2007; accepted 21 October 2007. published
online 03 January 2008.
 Abstract
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiac amyloidosis result in thickening of the left ventricle, as visualized by
2-dimensional echocardiography. Hemodynamically, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be typified by a left
ventricular outflow tract gradient and systolic anterior motion of the mitral apparatus, findings rarely seen in
cardiac amyloidosis. This case series reports 4 patients with cardiac light-chain amyloidosis and left ventricular
outflow tract obstruction at rest, suggesting that there may be echocardiographic overlap between these 2
disparate disease processes. In a series of consecutive patients with cardiac light-chain amyloidosis over a 2-
year period, the prevalence of these echocardiographic findings was approximately 4%. In conclusion,
awareness of this overlap in echocardiographic presentation may permit more accurate diagnosis, particularly
at early stages of amyloid disease, when more treatment options exist.