[Tumor-like amyloidosis of the upper respiratory tract]

The paper describes 11 cases of local tumor-like amyloidosis (LTA) of the upper respiratory tract, among which laryngeal amyloidosis was most common. The clinical diagnosis of suspected local amyloidosis was made in only two cases. The diagnosis of local amyloidosis was established at a morphological examination of a distant neoplasm, by using special Congo red staining followed by polarizing microscopy. Attention is drawn to the localization and sequence of amyloid deposition and morphological changes related to the age of patients and the duration of the disease. The paper discusses the nature of local amyloidosis as stromal vascular proteinosis with the deposition of AL amyloid (immunoglobulin light chain amyloid) that are formed apparently by local immunocytes of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) system. It emphasizes the need for the clinical monitoring of patients with LTA to rule out systemic amyloidosis.