Amyloidosis Africa’s Post

Can a simple echocardiographic ratio raise your suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis before the diagnosis is confirmed?

Cardiac amyloidosis often preserves left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) despite significant impairment in longitudinal myocardial function. That's why looking beyond LVEF can uncover important diagnostic clues.

Three echocardiographic ratios can complement conventional assessment:

🔴 RELAS (Relative Longitudinal Apical Sparing) Quantifies the characteristic "apical sparing" pattern seen on strain imaging.

🔵 SAB (Septal Apex-to-Base Ratio) Measures the relative preservation of apical septal strain compared with the basal septum.

🟢 EFSR (Ejection Fraction-to-Strain Ratio) Highlights the disproportion between preserved LVEF and reduced global longitudinal strain (GLS), a pattern frequently encountered in cardiac amyloidosis.