Single-center analysis of cardiac amyloidosis using 99m Tc-HMDP imaging for diagnosis and evaluation after tafamidis...

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 99m Tc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate ( 99m Tc-HMDP) imaging for cardiac amyloidosis and to demonstrate changes in cardiac uptake of 99m Tc-HMDP after tafamidis treatment.

Seventy-five patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis who underwent 99m Tc-HMDP imaging were included. We compared visual Perugini grades and semiquantitative heart-to-contralateral (H/CL) area ratios, myocardial maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), and peak of SUV (SUVpeak) between cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) and amyloid light-chain amyloidosis (AL). Comparison of interobserver reproducibility between H/CL ratios and myocardial SUVmax/SUVpeak was performed. H/CL ratio of 99m Tc-HMDP and myocardial SUVmax/SUVpeak were compared before and after tafamidis administration for cardiac wild-type ATTR.

Among 75 patients, 20 patients (26.7%) were visually positive based on Perugini grade. Fifteen and three patients were pathologically identified as cardiac ATTR and AL, respectively. ATTR group ( n  = 15) had significantly higher H/CL ratios of 99m Tc-HMDP than AL group ( n  = 3) ( P  = 0.003). ATTR group ( n  = 15) had significantly higher myocardial SUVmax/SUVpeak of 99m Tc-HMDP than AL group ( n  = 2) ( P  = 0.015). Myocardial SUVmax/SUVpeak had better interobserver reproducibility than H/CL ratios. After tafamidis treatment for cardiac wild-type ATTR, the decrease in myocardial SUVpeak was significant but not in H/CL ratios and myocardial SUVmax.

H/CL ratio and SUVmax/SUVpeak in 99m Tc-HMDP imaging were useful for diagnosing cardiac ATTR. Myocardial SUVpeak may be useful for monitoring changes in cardiac uptake after tafamidis treatment for cardiac ATTR.