Cardiac amyloidosis: a clinical and pathological review

Amyloidosis is a broad class of diseases all of which result in deposition of misfolded extracellular protein that result in organ dysfunction. Once considered a rare condition, cardiac amyloidosis is increasingly being identified in the ageing population and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, often mediated through heart failure. Our understanding of the disease, both from epidemiologic and pathobiologic perspectives has improved tremendously over the last decade, owing to greatly improved screening techniques as well as highly specific proteomic means of amyloid classification. Along with these advances, has come a host of revolutionary treatment strategies that have the potential to change the prognosis in heart failure patients. This review provides an overview of the relevant clinical issues that surround cardiac amyloidosis and is intended to update the reader on the contemporary diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for these patients.