[Cardiac amyloidosis].

In our experience, QS pattern of poor R wave progression and atrio-ventricular block of varying degrees on electrocardiogram, cardiomegaly with pleural effusion on chest X-ray film, left ventricular wall thickening, pericardial effusion and findings suggesting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on echocardiogram and increased right ventricular end-diastolic pressure in cardiac catheterization were frequently observed in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. Though none of these findings are specific, we should suspect cardiac amyloidosis as a possibility when some of these signs are observed in patients with chronic cardiac failure of unknown etiology. Left ventricular mass obtained from echocardiography could be useful predictive parameter of prognosis in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.