[Amyloidosis in rheumatoid arthritis]

Complication of secondary amyloidosis is becoming an important problem in the management of rheumatoid arthritis in Japan, because patients with rheumatoid arthritis, complicated by amyloidosis, have been increasing recently and the prognosis is poor in most cases. Renal and gastrointestinal symptoms are cardinal features of amyloidosis in rheumatoid arthritis, and most of these patients die of renal failure or cachexia, based on gastrointestinal involvement, within several years. Diagnosis in the early stage is recommended for good management of amyloidosis in rheumatoid arthritis, and gastroscopic biopsy appears to be the most available method for early diagnosis of amyloidosis.