Primary familial amyloidosis with vitreous opacities. Report of an autopsy case

Abstract

A 41-year-old Japanese male with a new type of primary familial amyloidosis was reported. The patient developed vitreous opacities, and later, disturbances in the gastrointestinal and nervous systems. At autopsy, amyloid was observed in the vitreous and the retinal vessels. There were extensive cerebral infarcts and heavy meningo-vascular amyloid deposition. Although the postmortem study revealed slight peripheral nerve degeneration in the lower extremities secondary to amyloid deposition, there was no clinical evidence of polyneuropathy.