Clinical Studies of Secondary Amyloidosis in Tuberculosis

IN 1949 the first of these cases of secondary amyloidosis in tuberculosis came under my observation. The date is important, since this general survey of amyloidosis was begun at a time when the new combined chemo-therapeutic and surgical attack upon tuberculosis was to improve the prog-nosis even in far advanced cases. Because reversal of amyloidosis secondary to tuberculosis has been re-corded as a rare event in scattered clinical reports,1'2> 3 and doubt has been expressed 2 that amyloid deposits are ever re-absorbed, the subject seemed worthy of investigation. Likewise, a review of the nature of hepatic im-pairment in this disease was particularly suggested by Moschcowitz ' 4 state-ment that there is "never gross evidence of hepatic insufficiency,,, yet hepatomegaly is a cardinal symptom. Moreover, clinical evidence of hepatic failure was wanting and the published literature on the subject almost non-existent. Similarly, the renal lesion was considered worthy of attention despite extensive studies. Moreover, a general impression prevailed that