Amyloid heart disease manifested by systemic arterial thromboemboli.

Amyloid heart disease characteristically produces a stiff heart syndrome whereby diastolic filling is impaired yet systolic function is well preserved. We report two patients with this pattern of amyloid heart disease, both of whom developed cardiogenic thromboemboli. The rarity of this complication is striking given the pathophysiologic bases of amyloid heart disease. Investigation of contributing causes revealed that the phenomena appeared to represent the cumulative effects of disorders producing stasis, endothelial disturbance, and probable abnormalities in blood coagulability, the classic Virchow's triad revisited. Understanding of the pathophysiologic basis of this event leads to specific suggestions for workup and management in this patient population.