Is This a “True” Apical Sparing Pattern?

Measurement of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) by echocardiography is useful for differentiating diseases that cause left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), the regional longitudinal strain (LS) of the left ventricle is reduced in basal segments from the early stage of the disease, but it is relatively preserved in apical segments. This is called the “apical sparing pattern,” and it has been described as a characteristic echocardiographic finding in patients with CA.