Tafamidis for the Treatment of Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report.

Abstract

Tafamidis meglumine is a novel medicine that has been shown to slow the progression of peripheral neurological impairment in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). However, the efficacy of tafamidis against ATTR-related cardiac amyloidosis remains unclear. A 72-year-old woman had cardiac hypertrophy and axonopathy in her lower legs. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed an infiltrative cardiomyopathy consistent with amyloidosis. Immunostaining and genetic studies confirmed the diagnosis of ATTR, and tafamidis was started subsequently. Two years after the initiation of tafamidis treatment, electromyography demonstrated no change in the axonopathy in her lower legs; however, electrocardiography displayed QRS prolongation, and echocardiography disclosed an increase in interventricular septal thickness. Endomyocardial biopsy indicated that transthyretin amyloid infiltration of the myocardium was not reduced. In this case, there was no apparent progression of axonopathy, although there were signs of worsening amyloid cardiomyopathy during the treatment with tafamidis.

• Authors: Teppei Fujita, Takayuki Inomata, Toyoji Kaida, Yuichirou Iida, Yuki Ikeda, Takeru Nabeta, Shunsuke Ishii, Emi Maekawa, Takashi Naruke, Toshimi Koitabashi, Eiji Kitamura, Yoshiki Sekijima, Junya Ako
• Journal: Cardiology (Cardiology) 2017 Vol. 137 Issue 2 Pg. 74-77 ISSN: 1421-9751 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 28152524 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Benzoxazoles
• tafamidis

Topics

• Aged
• Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Benzoxazoles (administration & dosage)
• Cardiomyopathies (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy, genetics)
• Disease Progression
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiography
• Female
• Humans
• Myocardium (pathology)