AN UNUSUAL CASE OF CARDIAC-FAILURE

A 70 year old patient with a past history of a left ventricular cardio myopathy with concentric hypertrophy presented with an exacerbation of cardiac failure, radiology revealed bilateral lung infiltrations, pre dominantly on the right and a restrictive ventilatory disorder. The br oncho-alveolar lavage revealed a lymphocy tosis with CD4 prominence. M icrobiological examination was negative. With a worsening radiological picture despite increased anti-failure treatment a video-assisted sur gical biopsy was performed. The histological examination revealed diff use interstitial pulmonary amyloidosis. This observation underlined th e value of looking for this rare cause of cardiac failure and pulmonar y infiltration in a situation where the pulmonary images did not impro ve on diuretics.