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Published on: August 8, 2022
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and symptomatic conduction system disease in cardiac amyloidosis
Praveen Garg1, Ruchi Gupta, David H Hsi
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Unity Health System, Unity Hospital, Rochester, NY, USA. dr_garg2002@yahoo.com
Insights
Primary amyloidosis (AL) significantly impacts prognosis due to cardiac involvement. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and complex management of amyloid cardiomyopathy, a condition often contraindicated for standard heart failure treatments.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac involvement in primary amyloidosis (AL) is a critical prognostic indicator.
- Amyloid cardiomyopathy presents with diverse clinical manifestations, including heart failure, arrhythmias, and conduction system disease.
Observation:
- A 70-year-old woman experienced syncope, severe diastolic heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy features, and symptomatic conduction disease requiring a pacemaker.
- Initial abdominal fat aspirate for amyloidosis was negative.
Findings:
- Endomyocardial biopsy confirmed amyloidosis.
- The patient's condition progressed to end-stage congestive heart failure.
Implications:
- Management of amyloid cardiomyopathy is challenging due to contraindications for typical heart failure medications.
- This case underscores the importance of endomyocardial biopsy for diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis when other methods fail.
- Early diagnosis and tailored management strategies are crucial for improving outcomes in amyloid cardiomyopathy.
Abstract:
Cardiac involvement is the most important prognostic factor in primary amyloidosis (AL). The clinical presentation of amyloid cardiomyopathy is varied and may manifest as heart failure, brady or tachyarrhythmias, syncope, angina and rarely with features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and advanced symptomatic conduction system disease. The management of amyloid cardiomyopathy has always been a dilemma, as most of the drugs used in congestive heart failure are contraindicated. This report describes a 70-year-old woman who presented with syncope, severe diastolic heart failure, features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and severe symptomatic conduction system disease requiring a pacemaker. Amyloidosis was diagnosed on endomyocardial biopsy after abdominal fat aspirate was negative for amyloid. The patient eventually expired due to end-stage congestive heart failure.
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