What is amyloidosis?

Systemic amyloidosis is a group of diseases characterized by the aggregation of a protein called “Amyloid” within vital organs.
Amyloid originates from insoluble aggregates of proteins produced by our body. Sometimes, it can locally infiltrate the tissues leading to pathologies such as carpal tunnel syndrome or spinal canal stenosis.
Nevertheless, the heart is one of the most frequent targets of amyloidosis.
The amyloid progressively deposits within the heart muscle and compromises its function, resulting in cardiac amyloidosis.
The ICCT Amyloidosis Clinic operates under the responsibility of Dr. M. Averaimo in collaboration with Prof. Dr. med. G. Pedrazzini..

The most common types of systemic amyloidosis are:

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis,

ATTR wild-type amyloidosis (ATTRwt) also called “senile amyloidosis”,

Hereditary amyloidosis (ATTRv and Apolipoprotein AI),

Chronic inflammation-reactive amyloidosis (AA).

Each type of amyloidosis requires different therapy.
The success of therapy depends on the earliness and accuracy of diagnosis.

The ICCT Amyloidosis outpatient Clinic is concerned with making diagnoses, follow-up and treatment of patients with cardiac amyloidosis.
The ICCT Amyloidosis outpatient Clinic works jointly with the IOSI Hematology Clinic (PD Dr. med. B. Gerber) to deal with and manage the cardiological therapy of AL amyloidosis.
The clinic also is concerned with diagnostic screening of patients presenting so-called “red flags”..
To book a first outpatient consultation, the family doctor or specialist of choice must fill in the appropriate form. The form will be available shortly.

Monthly, the cases of patients with amyloidosis are discussed in multidisciplinary teams (MDM) with the participation of haematologists, cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists and nephrologists..
È attiva la collaborazione con la Clinica di Ematologia IOSI
The Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino ICCT carried out the AMYLOIDOSIS SYMPOSIUM in collaboration with IOSI Oncological Institute of Italian Switzerland in April 2023.

Here the program of the symposium