Gastroparesis: an under-recognised manifestation of systemic amyloidosis.

Gastrointestinal (GI) amyloidosis can be acquired or genetic and is commonly caused by chronic inflammatory illnesses (AA amyloidosis), haematological malignancies (AL amyloidosis) and end-stage renal disease (beta-2 microglobulin amyloidosis). The accumulation of these aberrant proteins disrupts the structures and functions of many organs; the least common of which is the GI tract. GI presentations depend on the type, location and amount of amyloid deposition. Symptoms can range from nausea and vomiting to fatal GI bleeds. Pathological examination of the involved tissue with characteristic green birefringence under polarised light is used to confirm the diagnosis. Patients should be considered for further evaluation to rule out additional organ involvement, notably cardiac and renal. We present a patient with amyloidosis-induced gastroparesis, an under-recognised presentation of systemic amyloidosis in the gastroenterology system. © BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Citation

Khaled M Abdullah, Anas Alsuraimi, Suaka Kagbo-Kue, Marcelo Vela. Gastroparesis: an under-recognised manifestation of systemic amyloidosis. BMJ case reports. 2023 May 02;16(5)

Mesh Tags

PMID: 37130641

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