Amyloidosis presenting as pulmonary infarcts: a case report

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Amyloidosis is a multisystem disease defined by extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins in a beta-pleated sheet configuration.
• Thoracic manifestations of amyloidosis are typically categorized into tracheobronchial, nodular parenchymal, and diffuse alveolar septal subtypes.

Observation:

• This report details an atypical presentation of pulmonary amyloidosis.
• The patient experienced hemoptysis attributed to pulmonary infarcts.

Findings:

• Pulmonary infarcts in this case were linked to amyloid deposition within the vasculature.
• This finding highlights vascular amyloidosis as a cause of pulmonary infarction.

Implications:

• Amyloidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with pulmonary infarcts, particularly when observed across multiple vascular territories.
• This broadens the diagnostic considerations beyond traditional embolic disease for such presentations.