Introducing a disease more easily misdiagnosed than myeloma: amyloidosis

       We have previously introduced multiple myeloma (MM), which is a malignant plasma cell tumor that is more likely to be misdiagnosed, with a misdiagnosis rate of over 40%, but with the application of newer drugs such as Response Stop, Vanco and Renalidomide, the survival of patients has been significantly extended.  Recently, our ward has admitted three or four consecutive cases of patients from all over the country, who were suspected to have amyloidosis by local hospitals and referred to our hospital for confirmation and treatment.        So, what is amyloidosis?  Amyloidosis is a relatively rare systemic disease that often involves the kidneys, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, bones, bone marrow, immune system, central or peripheral nerves and soft tissues (including the tongue and subcutaneous fat), and in severe cases, uremia, heart failure or sudden death.  Amyloidosis occurs as a result of an amyloid fibrin deposit in the organism that is positively stained with a special stain, Congo red. This amyloid material can be composed of immunoglobulin light chain, transthyretin, fibrinogen A, apolipoprotein A and other protein substances. Therefore, amyloidosis can be caused by malignant plasma cell disease such as myeloma (with myeloma), or by thyroid disease or autoimmune system disease.  Sixty percent of patients with amyloidosis are 50 to 70 years old at the time of diagnosis. The diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis should have evidence of involvement of 2 or more organs, and the diagnosis relies mainly on histopathological examination of the bone marrow, kidney, abdominal wall fat, tongue and other involved histopathology: positive Congo red staining of amyloid protein: amorphous homogeneous eosinophilic red staining under ordinary light microscopy; specific apple green fluorescence under polarized microscopy Birefringence.  The treatment of amyloidosis is mainly treated with chemotherapy regimens similar to that of multiple myeloma. The more effective drugs include chemotherapy regimens consisting of Vanco, Marfan, glucocorticoids (including dexamethasone and prednisone, etc.) and other drugs, and patients who meet the criteria can also be treated with stem cell transplantation.  However, unlike myeloma, most patients with effective anti-myeloma therapy begin to show efficacy in 2 courses, while patients with amyloidosis may take longer to show efficacy with 4 or more courses of treatment. In terms of improvement in organ function, improvement in proteinuria or renal function may occur earlier. Patients with cardiac involvement are at greater risk and are more difficult to treat.