Cardiac amyloidosis, Congo Red negative: Diagnostic error or a disease begging to be diagnosed?

Rapidly progressive obstructive jaundice due to Congo red negative amyloidosis.

Hepatic involvement in amyloidosis is common but obstructive jaundice is a very rare complication. Occasional patients with AL amyloidosis develop obstructive jaundice as a consequence of severe intrahepatic cholestasis, but review of the English literature reveals only 23 such cases. We report a further case of obstructive jaundice due to amyloidosis in which the diagnosis was particularly dif...

Diagnostic approach to cardiac amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a relatively rare disease that may be underdiagnosed and could affect the entire human body. Many organs may be affected, which could increase the morbidity and mortality. Cardiac involvement is the leading cause of poor prognosis. Patients with cardiac amyloidosis are usually admitted with heart failure. The clinical presentation varies greatly, and using the correct approach is...

Cardiac Amyloidosis Diagnosed by Endomyocardial Biopsy

Cardiac amyloidosis presumptively diagnosed as cardiac syndrome X.

A 75-year-old man with cardiac amyloidosis was presumptively diagnosed as having cardiac syndrome X. Early clinical presentation was repeated episodes of angina pectoris without angiographically significant stenosis of the coronary arteries, so the diagnosis of cardiac syndrome X was initially given. However, his anginal symptoms worsened despite appropriate medication. He developed congestive ...

AL-Amyloidosis Presenting with Negative Congo Red Staining in the Setting of High Clinical Suspicion: A Case Report

A histologic diagnosis of amyloidosis requires acquiring tissue containing amyloid fibrils from an affected organ or alternate site. The biopsy site and staining techniques may influence testing accuracy. We present a case in which systemic amyloidosis was suspected; however, biopsies of the bone marrow, an osteosclerotic bone lesion, arterial and venous vessels, and the fat pad were all negati...