Amyloidosis at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town

The records of 52 patients with amyloidosis admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, between January 1969 and August 1982 were analysed. The male: female ratio was 1,3:1 and the mean age was 49,3 years. Forty-eight per cent of the patients had secondary amyloidosis, 21% had primary amyloidosis, 11,5% had localized amyloidosis and 11,5% had amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. Tuberculosis, chronic pulmonary sepsis and other chronic infections were present in 88% and rheumatoid arthritis in 16% of the patients with secondary amyloidosis. The commonest features at diagnosis were proteinuria (70%), oedema (52%) and hepatomegaly (39%). The diagnosis of amyloidosis was established by renal, liver and rectal biopsy (either singly or in combination) in 82% of cases. The prevalence of amyloidosis at autopsy was 0,28%.