Asymptomatic Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

A LTHOUGH more than a century has passed ± \. since Virchow first described amy-loidosis (1), investigation of its pathogene-sis has been l imited by the paucity of pathological material available dur ing the early stages of its development. Hypotheses regarding pathogenesis of amyloidosis have heretofore been derived from morphologic studies, staining reactions, and immuno-logic techniques performed on specimens of tissue obtained in the end stages of the disorder. T h e authors have had the oppor tuni ty to perform studies on a series of blood samples and specimens of tissue obtained over a one-year per iod from a pat ient wi th amyloidosis unassociated with a predispos-ing disease, before the onset of either clini-cal symptoms or physical signs. In an effort to further elucidate the pathogenesis of pr imary systemic amyloid-osis, special techniques have been used in investigation of this pat ient to document the biochemical changes and the patho-logical and immunohistochemical features of the subclinical disease in man