Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Amyloidosis

This case study details the echocardiographic evaluation of a 65-year-old male patient with multiple comorbidities, including Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, who presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The patient's cardiac biomarkers were mildly positive, and an electrocardiogram indicated sinus rhythm with inferior Q-waves, suggestive of a prior myocardial infarction. The study outlines the challenges faced during the echocardiogram, including the need for full endocardial border visualization and accurate quantification of left ventricular ejection fraction within a limited time frame. The procedure utilized a Vivid E95 echocardiograph and the Automated Functional Imaging (AFI) package, which facilitated rapid assessment of global longitudinal strain and left ventricular ejection fraction. The findings indicated a small pericardial effusion and signs suggestive of cardiac amyloidosis, leading to further imaging and treatment with tafamidis, resulting in symptom improvement. The study emphasizes the utility of triplane imaging for comprehensive cardiac assessment.