Dystrophic amyloidosis: a local complication of tissue damage with heterogeneous distribution

Seventeen consecutive patients with dystrophic amyloidosis are reported here (eight Chinese, three Indian, three Iban, two Malay and one Caucasian). Ten were females and seven males, with ages ranging from 12 to 80 years (mean of 48 years). Five instances of dystrophic amyloidosis occurred in areas of tissue damage in the cardiovascular system, including fibrotic cardiac valves and an atheromatous plaque. Three occurred in osteoarthritic joint tissue. Of note were three occurrences in endometriotic cyst walls, four in the fibrotic walls of epidermal cysts, one in a hernial sac and one at the edge of a skin ulcer. All deposits were congophilic and exhibited green-birefringence and permanganate-resistance. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal reactivity for AA protein or immunoglobulin lambda or kappa light-chains. AP protein was detected in 35% of cases. Our results show that, besides the usual sites of osteoarthritic joints and damaged heart valves, dystrophic amyloidosis can complicate other areas of chronic tissue damage and fibrosis such as walls of cysts and ulcers. While the pathogenesis and biochemical nature remain unresolved, immunohistochemistry indicates that neither AA nor AL proteins are present in the deposits, and suggests that a different amyloid protein is involved.