1. False positive technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy in a patient with cardiac amyloidosis light chain: Case report
- Author
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Yucheng Chen, Gongshun Tang, Andrew J. Einstein, Qing Zhang, Yu Zeng, Ke Wan, Hangyu Xie, Juncheng Chen, Timothy J. Poterucha, and Yujia Liang
- Subjects
Immunofixation ,Adult ,Male ,pyrophosphate ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate ,Immunoglobulin light chain ,Scintigraphy ,Gastroenterology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Fatal Outcome ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,case report ,False Positive Reactions ,Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Clinical Case Report ,nuclear medicine ,Radionuclide Imaging ,biology ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,cardiac amyloidosis ,Furosemide ,General Medicine ,Brain natriuretic peptide ,Transthyretin ,Cardiac amyloidosis ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,biology.protein ,Radiopharmaceuticals ,business ,Cardiomyopathies ,Technetium-99m ,medicine.drug ,Research Article - Abstract
Introduction: Patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain (AL) present with negative Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy (absent or mild heart uptake). On the contrary, patients with cardiac amyloidosis transthyretin (ATTR) present with positive Tc-99m PYP scanning (intensive heart uptake). We present a false positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy (grade 2, the heart-to-contralateral ratio is 1.65) in a patient with AL. Patient concerns: A 42-year-old Chinese man complained of effort intolerance, chest discomfort, and short of breath progressively over 1 year. New York Heart Association Class III. Physical examination showed legs swelling. Laboratory revealed elevated brain natriuretic peptide of 23,031 ng/mL (0–88) and Troponin-T of 273.4 ng/mL (0–14). Diagnosis: Cardiac amyloidosis light chain. Evidences: free light chains (FLCs): decreased serum free kappa/lambda ratio of 0.043 (0.31–1.56). Immunofixation electrophoresis: a positive lambda light chain monoclonal protein. Cardiac biopsy: HE: Ambiguity Congo red strain. Myocardial immunofluorescence: positive lambda light chain. Myocardial immunohistochemistry: positive lambda light chain, negative kappa light chain, and TTR. Interventions: Furosemide 40 mg qd, torasemide 20 mg qd, spirolactone 20 mg qd, potassium chloride 10 mL per 500 mL urine, atorvastatin calcium tablet 20 mg qd, aspirin enteric-coated tablets 100 mg qd during the 2-weeks in-hospital. Outcomes: The patient died 2 months later after discharge. Conclusion: False positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy may rarely presented in patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain. So, the clonal plasma cell process based on the FLCs and immunofixation is a base to rule out AL cardiac amyloidosis when we interpret a positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy.
- Published
- 2020