Regression of Cardiac Amyloid After Autologous Stem-cell Transplantation
Received 21 August 2008; received in revised form 1 November 2008; accepted 14 November 2008.
Primary cardiac amyloid has a dismal prognosis and most treatments are experimental with highly variable results. Although autologous stem-cell transplant in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy has yielded regression of amyloid in other body tissues, the presence of cardiac involvement contraindicates stem-cell transfer due to high treatment mortality. We describe the successful treatment of cardiac amyloid using autologous stem-cell transplantation and the resultant regression of the cardiac amyloid.
aFeinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
bMedical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
Reprint requests: William Cotts, MD, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 201 East Huron Street, Galter 11-120, Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: 312-695-0008. Fax: 312-695-0005
ABSTRACT