Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Author Spotlight: Ex Vivo OCT-Based Multimodal Imaging of Human Donor Eyes for Research into Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published on: May 26, 2023
OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS OF SYSTEMIC AMYLOIDOSIS
Margaret M Reynolds1, Kevin K Veverka2, Morie A Gertz3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Systemic amyloidosis can cause eye problems. Light-chain amyloidosis affects eyes, while AA amyloidosis does not, and familial amyloidosis may cause corneal issues.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Systemic amyloidosis encompasses a group of serious conditions.
- Ophthalmic manifestations are crucial indicators of systemic disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the ocular findings in patients with systemic amyloidosis.
- To differentiate ophthalmic involvement across various amyloidosis subtypes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of patients with ocular examinations.
- Inclusion criteria: diagnosis of light-chain (AL), secondary (AA), or nontransthyretin familial amyloidosis.
- Data collected from Mayo Clinic between 1985 and 2014.
Main Results:
- Ocular involvement was observed in 14 eyes (11.8%) of 68 patients with AL amyloidosis.
- Affected sites in AL amyloidosis included conjunctiva, temporal artery, extraocular muscles, trabecular meshwork, and cranial nerves.
- One patient with nontransthyretin familial amyloidosis (gelsolin-related) developed corneal dystrophy; no ophthalmic manifestations were seen in AA amyloidosis patients.
Conclusions:
- Systemic amyloidosis can lead to significant ocular morbidity.
- Specific amyloid subtypes (AL and familial gelsolin) present distinct ophthalmic findings.
- Ocular amyloidosis warrants prompt referral for systemic evaluation and management.
More Related Videos
10:04Imaging Amyloid Tissues Stained with Luminescent Conjugated Oligothiophenes by Hyperspectral Confocal Microscopy and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging
Published on: October 20, 2017
07:50A Metadata Extraction Approach for Clinical Case Reports to Enable Advanced Understanding of Biomedical Concepts
Published on: September 20, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations
Glaucoma: Overview
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis
Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction