User:Mr. Ibrahem/Amyloidosis
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue.[4] Symptoms depend on the type and are often variable.[2] They may include diarrhea, weight loss, feeling tired, enlargement of the tongue, bleeding, numbness, feeling faint with standing, swelling of the legs, or enlargement of the spleen.[2]
Amyloidosis | |
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Classic facial features of AL amyloidosis with bleeding under the skin (bruising) around the eyes[1] | |
Specialty | Endocrinology, rheumatology, cardiology |
Symptoms | Feeling tired, weight loss, swelling of the legs, shortness of breath, bleeding, feeling light headed with standing[2] |
Usual onset | 55–65 years old[2] |
Types | Light chain (AL), inflammation (AA), dialysis (Aβ2M), hereditary and old age (ATTR)[2] |
Causes | Genetic or acquired[3] |
Diagnostic method | Tissue biopsy[2] |
Treatment | Supportive care, directed at the underlying cause, dialysis, organ transplantation[3] |
Prognosis | Improved with treatment[3] |
Frequency | 3–13 per million per year (AL amyloidosis)[2] |
Deaths | 1 per 1,000 people (developed world)[3] |
There are about 30 different types of amyloidosis, each due to a specific protein misfolding.[5] Some are genetic while others are acquired.[3] They are grouped into localized and systemic forms.[2] The four most common types of systemic disease are light chain (AL), inflammation (AA), dialysis (Aβ2M), and hereditary and old age (ATTR).[2]
Diagnosis may be suspected when protein is found in the urine, organ enlargement is present, or problems are found with multiple peripheral nerves and it is unclear why.[2] Diagnosis is confirmed by tissue biopsy.[2] Due to the variable presentation, a diagnosis can often take some time to reach.[3]
Treatment is geared towards decreasing the amount of the involved protein.[2] This may sometimes be achieved by determining and treating the underlying cause.[2] AL amyloidosis occurs in about 3–13 per million people per year and AA amyloidosis in about 2 per million people per year.[2] The usual age of onset of these two types is 55 to 60 years old.[2] Without treatment, life expectancy is between six months and four years.[2] In the developed world about 1 per 1,000 people die from amyloidosis.[3] Amyloidosis has been described since at least 1639.[2]