[Senile cardiac amyloidosis]

The findings at 1625 autopsies performed by the authors in 45-99-year-olds and literature data have been analysed in relation to clinical and morphological manifestations of senile cardiac amyloidosis (SCA). It occurred in 2.4% of autopsies and accounted for about a half of senile amyloidosis cases recorded by the authors. IAA and SSA are two separate forms of SCA heterogeneous group in which IAA has incidence rate 3 times that of SSA. IAA is a local SCA form, SSA--systemic form (though isolated ventricular affections are possible). The mean age and sex-specific incidence rate differed: 72.3 and 78.2 years for IAA and SSA, respectively; for women IAA incidence is 3.5 times and SSA 2 times that for males. SCA forms presented various amyloidosis degrees, location, spread, as well as amyloid proteins specificity detectable by relevant direct and indirect methods. Differences in clinico-morphological appearance and death causes for IAA and SSA contributed to differential diagnosis between these forms as well as between SSA and PA.