An intriguing case of primary amyloidosis with cardiac involvement: symptomatic and echocardiographic improvement with thalidomide treatment

Int J Cardiol. 2006 Oct 26;113(1):141-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2005.09.046. Epub 2005 Dec 2.

Abstract

Patients with primary amyloidosis (AL) have poor prognosis with a median survival of one to two years. In patients with symptomatic cardiac involvement, prognosis is even worse with the reported median survival of 6 months. One patient, diagnosed as AL amyloidosis with cardiac involvement, was treated with thalidomide and showed remarkable improvement in functional capacity, cardiac function, and various laboratory parameters without any significant adverse effect and, therefore, we report the case with the review of literatures.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Amyloidosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Amyloidosis / drug therapy*
  • Amyloidosis / physiopathology*
  • Echocardiography*
  • Heart Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Heart Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Thalidomide / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Thalidomide