Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by the formation of pathological protein deposits in organs or tissues. It is typically a systemic disease which can occur in a localized form. Amyloidosis of the breast is uncommon. Common mammographic findings of breast amyloidosis are multiple nodules with or without calcifications. We report a case of primary localized breast amyloidosis presenting suspicious microcalcifications on mammography without associated masses. Mammography in a 72-year-old woman displayed multiple, linearly distributed, irregular and rod-like calcifications in the subareolar area of the left breast. The patient underwent surgical excision under mammo-guided needle localization and the pathology was confirmed to be breast amyloidosis.
Aged ; Amyloidosis/pathology/*ultrasonography ; Breast/pathology ; Breast Diseases/pathology/*ultrasonography ; Calcinosis/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

No abstract available.
Amyloidosis/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Primary systemic amyloidosis is a relatively rare disease, caused when abnormal extracellular deposition of fibrillary protein builds up in a variety of target organs, such as heart, kidneys, lungs liver, and so forth. The symptoms of the disease are usually vague, while many kinds of auxiliary or laboratory examinations especially pathologic biopsy can provide a clue for the diagnosis. Here we described a case who had purpura-like lesions in the initial stage, followed by progressive malfunctions in the kidneys, the heart, the lungs, as well as the liver. The final diagnosis was primary systemic amyloidosis determined by skin pathologic biopsy. And the disease led to a fatal outcome within three months after the diagnosis.
Amyloidosis ; complications ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Purpura ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; pathology ; Ultrasonography

A 53-year-old woman was admitted with epigastric discomfort and weakness. Laboratory examination at admission showed mild anemia and proteinuria. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed marked mucosal atrophy, diffuse nodularity and granular appearance with mucosal friability. Biopsy was performed on the antrum and body of the stomach. On the next day, the patient began to complain of severe dyspnea, and hypoxia was present on pulse oximetry. Therefore, emergency echocardiography was conducted and it showed restrictive cardiomyopathy along with thrombus in the left atrium. With time, heart failure was aggravated despite intensive management. The result of gastric biopsy revealed amyloid deposits which stained positively with Congo red. On immunohistochemistry study, kappa and lambda chain were present. In addition, kappa chain was significantly elevated in urine and serum on electrophoresis. Although the patient was finally diagnosed as having primary gastric amyloidosis with restrictive cardiomyopathy, her general condition rapidly deteriorated and died at 12th hospital day. When obscure gastric lesion is encountered, performing gastric biopsy is strongly recommended since it be primary gastric amyloidosis. Herein, we present an unusual case of primary gastric amyloidosis.
Amyloidosis/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Heart Atria/diagnostic imaging ; Heart Failure/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains/blood/urine ; Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains/blood/urine ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Diseases/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Thrombosis/diagnosis/diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography