The utility of positron emission tomography in cardiac amyloidosis

Heart Fail Rev. 2022 Sep;27(5):1531-1541. doi: 10.1007/s10741-021-10183-w. Epub 2021 Nov 7.

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.

Keywords: Cardiac amyloidosis; Cardiac scintigraphy; Florbetapan; Florbetapir; Pittsburg compound B; Positron emission tomography; Sodium fluoride.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amyloidosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart
  • Heart Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Radionuclide Imaging