Symptoms & Causes
Renal manifestations in a patient with Amyloidosis could be very variable but the main symptoms are the presence of protein in the urine as well as progressive deterioration in renal function and renal failure.
Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by the presence of abnormal amyloid deposits in the body. Amyloid deposits can build up in the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body. A person may have Amyloidosis in one organ or several. Amyloidosis can be secondary to a different health condition or can develop as a primary condition. Sometimes it is due to a mutated gene, but other times the cause of Amyloidosis remains unknown.
Renal manifestations in a patient with Amyloidosis could be very variable but the main symptoms are the presence of protein in the urine as well as progressive deterioration in renal function and renal failure.
The complications associated with Amyloidosis could be life-threatening. The diagnosis is usually made with a kidney biopsy or a biopsy of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen.
This sample is examined to determine if it contains a high percentage of Amyloid proteins by using the Congo red dye, as the amyloid protein interacts with the Congo dye and gives a red color that indicates a positive diagnosis.
Some medications are used to control symptoms associated with Amyloidosis, such as:
Other treatments depend on case severity and the type of Amyloidosis (primary or secondary).
