Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis of the liver and intestines

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Amyloidosis of the liver

Often amyloidosis affects multiple organs: kidney, liver, spleen, intestines, therefore, deposition of amyloid protein exclusively in the liver is a rather rare phenomenon.

The liver is at risk primarily in secondary and hereditary amyloidosis.

Depending on the locations of the deposits of protein, there are three types of amyloidosis of the liver:

1) intralobular;
2) periportally;
3) mixed.

In the first type hepatic amyloidosis protein affects hepatic beams, after which they atrophy. Some of the cells of the liver are blocked by amyloid and die. The second and third types of amyloidosis do not destroy liver slices: amyloid deposits localized in the blood vessels and the portal tracts.

Decisive role in the development of amyloidosis is played by disorders of metabolism (immunoglobulin synthesis) and reduced immunity. High risk of amyloidosis in people with chronic infectious diseases, suppuration, and immunological disorders. Among the potentially dangerous diseases – tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, sepsis, a variety of tumours.

One of the most common symptoms of the disease is increasing and seal liver and spleen. Sometimes there is mild jaundice that develops due to liver failure. In amyloidosis of the liver, the skin is dry and pale; urine analysis shows proteinuria.

To diagnose amyloidosis of the liver can be due to needle biopsy of the liver, intestines, gums.

Complication of amyloidosis of the liver is liver failure.

Treatment of amyloidosis of the liver is a complex therapy; the prognosis is favorable in the absence of liver failure. Special attention should be paid to the prevention of communicable diseases and strengthening body.

Intestinal amyloidosis

Intestinal amyloidosis is one of the most common forms of the disease.

Indicative symptoms of amyloidosis of the intestine are the severity, discomfort and dull pain in the abdomen, diarrhea or constipation. A blood test shows anaemia and leucocytosis.

The disease can cause complications such as hypoproteinemia (lowtotal protein content in the body), amyloid ulcers, bleeding and perforation.

The most accurate diagnosis of the disease is through a biopsy sheath colon and small intestine.

The small intestine in amyloidosis are prone to lose much more often than thick (although the disease affects the entire gastrointestinal tract). It is important to know that intestinal amyloidosis as part of the overall amyloidosis represents only complications of the underlying disease (most often infectious or immune nature).

Most often, the bowel suffers with primary and secondary amyloidosis. Sometimes intestinal amyloidosis can have local character and be manifested in the form of the tumor.

To avoid intestinal amyloidosis can be due to the prevention of infectious, suppurative and chronic disease, strengthen immunity, normalize metabolism.

Intestinal amyloidosis sometimes develops together with amyloidosis of the kidneys or liver that degrade the overall picture of the predictions of the disease.

Intestinal amyloidosis requires comprehensive treatment. In this disease, using drugs that can affect its pathogenic zones (diseases causing amyloidosis) - corticosteroids, colchicine, immunostimulant. Sometimes removal of the spleen is able to favorably affect the progression of the disease, reduce the synthesis of amyloid protein.