Cardiac amyloidosis is a manifestation of one of several systemic diseases known as amyloidosis. This uncommon disease is often under-diagnosed, as there are several types of amyloids and each has unique features and methods of treatment. Therefore, it is often hard to identify which can lead to errors in the management of patient care.

Cardiac involvement in amyloidosis (which can range from no signs to severe signs) is derived from a light-chain precursor (AL amyloidosis). Secondary amyloidosis rarely affects the heart in any clinically significant manner. The specific composition of the fibrils differs in the different types of amyloid. Both based on common usage and for the sake of simplicity, “cardiac amyloidosis” is used here to describe the involvement of the heart by amyloid deposition, whether as part of systemic amyloidosis (as is most commonly the case) or as a localized phenomenon.

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