Atrial thrombosis in cardiac amyloidosis: Diagnostic contribution of transesophageal echocardiography

Few cases of atrial thrombosis detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cardiac amyloidosis have been reported recently. We present the c ases Of 3 consecutive patients affected by AL-type cardiac amyloidosis, sym ptomatic for heart failure and in sinus rhythm. All patients had a cardiac restrictive pattern at Doppler examination. TEE showed left atrial thrombus in 2 patients and biatrial thrombi in 1 patient; conventional transthoraci c echocardiography detected only 1 left atrial thrombus. Our experience con firms the association between cardiac amyloidosis and atrial thrombosis, ev en in sinus rhythm. TEE should be considered to assess thromboembolic risk in all cases of cardiac amyloidosis with severe diastolic dysfunction.