Oral Medicine (OMED) Practice Test

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy causes stiff, noncompliant ventricular walls because amyloid deposits infiltrate the myocardium, leading to diastolic dysfunction with preserved systolic function early on. This diastolic-dysfunction pattern defines restrictive cardiomyopathy, distinguishing it from hypertrophic (thickened walls with possible obstruction), dilated (systolic failure with dilated chambers), or arrhythmogenic (fibrofatty replacement, often of the right ventricle).