Systemic amyloidosis and pneumatosis of bladder wall

Abstract

A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our Department for syncopes, diarrhoea, and weight loss. We suspected the diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis after the detection of macroglossia and periorbital purpura, despite the biopsy of the previous year, that resulted negative for amyloid substance. We confirmed the diagnosis after the histological evidence of deposits of amyloid in bone marrow and the clinical evidence of pneumatosis of bladder wall. Chemotherapy improved only temporarily clinical condition.

Keywords

• Amyloidosis
• Pneumatosis of bladder wall
• Λ chains
• K chains