MUSCULOSKELETAL AMYLOIDOSIS IMAGING

Course overview

AMYLOIDOSIS IS A RARE DISEASE INVOLVING THE ACCUMULATION OF INSOLUBLE PROTEINS WITHIN VARIOUS TISSUE TYPES, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO END-ORGAN FAILURE. THE CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RADIOLOGIC FEATURES OF AMYLOIDOSIS DEPEND ON THE SUBTYPE OF AMYLOID PROTEIN, THE INVOLVED TISSUES, AND WHETHER AMYLOID DEPOSITION REPRESENTS A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY DISEASE PROCESS. WHILE THERE ARE AROUND 40 IDENTIFIED PROTEIN SUBTYPES OF AMYLOIDOSIS, THE MOST COMMON AMYLOID SUBTYPES THAT INVOLVE THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM INCLUDE THE IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAIN (AL), THE BETA-2 MICROGLOBULIN (AB2M), AND THE TRANSTHYRETIN (ATTR) PROTEINS--THE LATTER HAVING GENETIC AND SENESCENT VARIANTS. WHILE CERTAIN PRIMARY DISEASE STATES PREDISPOSE TO AMYLOIDOSIS, THE PROGNOSIS REMAINS POOR DUE TO DELAYS IN PROMPT DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE KEY RADIOLOGIC FEATURES OF MUSCULOSKELETAL AMYLOIDOSIS AND THE ROLE OF RADIOLOGY IN REDUCING DIAGNOSTIC UNCERTAINTY IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.