[AL amyloidosis, from diagnosis to treatment]

Al amyloidosis, from diagnosis to treatment. AL amyloidosis is a rare hemopathy characterized by immunoglobulin light chains deposits in almost all organs causing organ failure. The main issue is the early dia¬gnosis, which must be made in front of an unexplained non-specific symptomatology, especially cardiac or renal, in frequently elderly patients with monoclonal gammo¬pathy. Non-invasive biopsies should be made for histolo¬gical confirmation revealing positive congo red and birefringent yellow-green deposits in polarized light specific for amyloidosis. Severity is assessed by biologi¬cal markers of cardiac involvement. The treatment consists in eliminating the plasma or lympho-plasma cell dyscrasia secreting the amyloidogenic light chain, and in proposing supportive care specific to this pathology.