
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Familial amyloidosis MRI
Introduction
Overview
Overview
MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of familial amyloidosis. Findings on liver MRI suggestive of familial amyloidosis include liver enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation, asymmetric and triangular hepatomegaly with the apex at the falciform ligament, and parenchymal calcification. Findings on renal MRI suggestive of familial amyloidosis include hypodense lesions on T2, kidney enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation, and parenchymal calcification. Findings on cardiac MRI suggestive of familial amyloidosis include thickening of ventricular and atrial walls and valvular leaflets due to deposition of amyloid fibrils, enlarged atria caused by diastolic dysfunction and/or valvular dysfunction due to amyloid deposition, heart enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation, cardiac calcification, and pericardial effusion.
MRI
MRI
In cardiac amyloidosis the MRI findings may include[1]:
- Thickening of ventricular and atrial walls and valvular leaflets due to deposition of amyloid fibrils
- Enlarged atria caused by diastolic dysfunction and/or valvular dysfunction due to amyloid deposition
- Heart enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation
- Cardiac calcifications
- Pericardial effusion (rare)
In hepatic amyloidosis the MRI scan findings may include:
- Liver enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation
- Asymmetric and triangular hepatomegaly with the apex at the falciform ligament (due to mild atrophic change of the lateral border of both hepatic lobes)
- Parenchyma calcification (rare)
In renal amyloidosis the MRI findings may include:
- Hypodense lesions on T2
- Kidney enlargement with heterogeneous decreased attenuation
- Parenchyma calcification (rare)
In amyloidosis involving the peripheral nerves the MRI findings may include:
- Perineural enhancement
Images


References
References
- ↑ Falk RH, Quarta CC, Dorbala S (2014). “How to image cardiac amyloidosis”. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 7 (3): 552–62. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.113.001396. PMC 4118308. PMID 24847009.
- ↑ Case courtesy of Dr David Cuevas, <a href=”https://radiopaedia.org/“>Radiopaedia.org</a>. From the case <a href=”https://radiopaedia.org/cases/61600“>rID: 61600</a>
- ↑ Case courtesy of Dr Rebecca Dumont Walter, <a href=”https://radiopaedia.org/“>Radiopaedia.org</a>. From the case <a href=”https://radiopaedia.org/cases/42915“>rID: 42915</a>
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
