Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

Excerpt When a clinical syndrome indicates involvement of several systems, the diagnostician thinks of disease processes with a widespread common denominator. The blood and blood vessels permeate every organ in the body; the lymphatic system is widespread; the endocrines, by virtue of their hormones, have far-reaching effects; metabolism is universal; connective tissue is common to all organs and systems; infectious agents can take root far and wide. The clinician therefore considers: (1) blood diseases, such as leukemia, polycythemia, multiple myeloma, sickle cell anemia; (2) vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, thromboangiitis obliterans, thrombophlebitis migrans; (3)lymphomatousdiseases, such as Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma,...