Xu B, et al. - Via this retrospective analysis (over a 10-year period) utilizing pathology department database, researchers looked for the possibility of unrecognized cardiac amyloidosis in patients with severe mitral valve disease undergoing surgery. Of 7,733 mitral valve surgical specimens obtained, incidentally identified amyloidosis was evident, in mitral valve or another type of cardiac tissue removed at surgery, in 15 cases. The amyloid deposition was seen at mitral valve (80%), left atrial appendage (33%), and subaortic tissue (7%); wild-type transthyretin amyloid was seen in 14 patients (93%). Of overall mitral valve surgical cases, 0.2% had incidentally detected cardiac amyloidosis over a 10-year span. These patients undergoing mitral valve surgery had excellent outcomes, and a mean follow-up of 1,023 days revealed no complications or deaths resulting from surgery.