Breast involvement of primary systemic amyloidosis is rare. This is a rare case of breast amyloidosis presenting as a diffuse infiltrative lesion. We present the mammographic, ultrasound, and MR findings of a systemic primary amyloidosis involving the breast with diffuse infiltrative pattern.
Amyloidosis* ; Breast* ; Ultrasonography

Transthoracic echocardiographic characteristics of 17 cases of cardiac amyloidosis (CA), a rare disease in China, were analyzed in order to improve the understanding of the disease. Seventeen cases of biopsy-proven CA, admitted to Wuhan Union Hospital from June 1994 to September 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty normal volunteers served as control group. Left atrial and ventricular functions and mitral inflow velocity were measured by two-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography, and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)-derived peak systolic wall motion velocities (Sv), peak early diastolic wall motion velocities (Ev), and peak late diastolic wall motion (Av) were measured at the septum, lateral, inferior and anterior corners of mitral annulus from the apical 4- and 2 chamber views. Compared with the control group, the interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), the left ventricular posterior wall (LVPWd), right ventricular transverse diameter (RVTDd) near the end of diastole and the interauricular septum thickness (IASs), left atrial anteroposterior diameter (LAADs), right atrial transverse diameter (RATDs) near the end of systole were increased significantly (all P<0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decreased (P<0.05) in the CA group. Compared with the control group, Sv, Ev at each wall and Av at almost all walls were significantly decreased in the CA group. In the CA group, Myocardial echoes of interventricular septum and free wall of left ventricle were enhanced evidently and distributed unevenly. The echoes presented as ground glass-like images, with some spotty hyper echoes. Both atria were enlarged, and LVEF decreased, with diastolic function impaired, and mild-moderate hydropericardium found in the CA group. It was concluded that echocardiography was a relatively sensitive and highly specific non-invasive method for the diagnosis of CA.
Amyloidosis/*ultrasonography ; Cardiomyopathies/*ultrasonography ; Case-Control Studies ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler/*methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

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

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

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

Hepatic involvement of amyloidosis is common. Diffuse infiltration with hepatomegaly is a usual radiologic finding of hepatic amyloidosis. To our knowledge, this is the first case of amyloidosis involving the liver that presented as a mass.
Aged ; Amyloidosis/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Biopsy, Needle ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/*radiography/ultrasonography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is characterized by severe headaches with or without other acute neurological symptoms, and diffuse segmental constriction of cerebral arteries that resolves spontaneously within 3 months. A 44-year-old woman underwent heart transplantation due to primary amyloidosis with heart involvement. She started to have a seizure after three hours after the heart transplantation, and her consciousness was not recovered. Computed tomography and transcranial doppler sonography were used to diagnose RCVS, and contracted vessels were recovered after oral nimodipine administration.
Adult ; Amyloidosis ; Cerebral Arteries ; Consciousness ; Constriction ; Female ; Headache ; Heart Transplantation* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Nimodipine ; Seizures ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial ; Vasoconstriction*

No abstract available.
Amyloidosis/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Bone Marrow Cells/pathology ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

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