The many guises of amyloidosis. Clinical presentations and disease associations

Amyloidosis occurs in association with many diseases and can also be idiopathic. It is usually a systemic disease with variable presentations. The diagnosis should be suspected in patients with unexplained proteinuria, cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, macroglossia, or hepatosplenomegaly. Amyloidosis generally has a poor prognosis and responds poorly to therapy. Much needs to be learned about its pathogenesis and treatment possibilities.