[Generalized secondary amyloidosis in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)]

During a period of 6 years (1968 to 1973) 177 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were submitted on one or more occasions to biopsy of the rectal mucosa for the diagnosis of amyloidosis. The indications for biopsy were as follows: 1. proteinuria, even in an intermittent form, 2. progressive type of rheumatoid arthritis with high inflammatory activity, 3. rheumatoid arthritis of longer than 2 years duration with a marked tendency to joint destruction. The histological specimens were stained with Congo red and investigated in polarized light. The biopsy for amyloidosis was positive in 80 patients (45.2%) of whom 14 showed no proteinuria, even of an intermittent nature. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis survived maximally 5 years after amyloidosis had been diagnosed. No successful therapy of amyloidosis has been devised.