ABSTRACT
We have investigated the presence of amyloid in 25 patients with multiple myeloma and in 12 patients with benign monoclonal gammopathies. Ascari's function resulted valid for the screening of patients with amyloidosis. Fine needle biopsy of subcutaneous fat showed the amyloid in 20% of patients with myeloma and in no patient with benign monoclonal gammopathies. The ratio voltage/mass resulted very useful for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. Sites involved were heart and kidney.
Subject(s)
Amyloidosis/diagnosis , Cardiomyopathies/diagnosis , Kidney Diseases/diagnosis , Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance/diagnosis , Adipose Tissue/pathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Amyloidosis/epidemiology , Biopsy, Needle , Cardiomyopathies/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Kidney Diseases/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance/complications , Multiple Myeloma/complications , Multiple Myeloma/diagnosis , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
A rare case of Van Buchem's disease is described. This disease is a hereditary sclerosis dysplasia of bone which particularly affects the skull and long bones, the characteristic features being the endosteal deposition of bone, particularly in the diaphyses.
Subject(s)
Osteochondrodysplasias , Adult , Bone and Bones/diagnostic imaging , Genes, Recessive , Humans , Male , Osteochondrodysplasias/diagnostic imaging , Osteochondrodysplasias/genetics , Radiography , Skull/diagnostic imagingSubject(s)
Bone and Bones/pathology , Multiple Myeloma/pathology , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , PrognosisABSTRACT
Prognostic significance of the skeletal lesions in multiple myeloma. Fifty-two patients with multiple myeloma have been analysed and relations between bone X-ray changes and several clinical biohumoral parameters and survival have been found. Our studies show no correlation between the extent of skeletal lesions and the seriousness of anaemia, or between bone marrow infiltration and renal involvement. The results also show that patients with apparently normal bones may also have serious anaemia, wide bone marrow infiltration and serious renal lesions rapidly leading to a poor prognosis. Comparison of survival curves, according to the grade of bone X-ray changes at presentation, shows no significant difference: the grade of bone lesions at diagnosis does not seem to considerably influence survival.
