Diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in secondary amyloidosis

Background: The hallmark of amyloidosis is tissue deposition of a featureless substance called amyloid. Amyloidosis can be congenital or acquired, localized or generalized. Case Report: We present a case of a 22-year-old man, previously treated for gluten enteropathy and Crohn’s disease, in whom we diagnosed a secondary amyloidosis from an unknown cause. The diagnosis was confirmed microscopically. The treatment of our patient was unsuccessful, and the disease process led to death. Conclusions: Secondary amyloidosis with gastrointestinal tract involvement is rare, but in spite of progress in medical science its diagnosis and treatment poses significant problems.

Keywords: Amyloidosis, Crohn Disease, gluten enteropathy