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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffIn order to rule out other conditions, your doctor may conduct a physical exam and a variety of tests, including blood tests and urine tests. Though blood or urine tests may detect an abnormal protein — which could indicate amyloidosis — the only definitive test for amyloidosis is a tissue biopsy.
Biopsy may involve several samples
In a tissue biopsy, your doctor uses a needle to remove a small sample of tissue. If your doctor suspects that you have systemic amyloidosis — meaning it affects several parts of your body rather than just one organ — the biopsy may be taken from your abdominal fat, bone marrow, gums, salivary glands, skin or rectum. The sample is then examined under a microscope in a laboratory to check for signs of amyloid. These biopsies are conducted in an outpatient setting with a numbing medication (local anesthetic).
Occasionally, tissue samples may be taken from other parts of your body, such as your liver or kidney, to help diagnose the specific organ affected by amyloidosis. These procedures may require hospitalization.
- Seldin DC, et al. Amyloidosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2863105. Accessed June 11, 2009.
- Amyloidosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec12/ch160/ch160a.html. Accessed June 12, 2009.
- Gertz MA, et al. Amyloidosis. Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology. 2005;18:709.
- Amyloidosis and kidney disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/Amyloidosis/. Accessed June 12, 2009.
- Gorevic PD. An overview of amyloidosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 12, 2009.
- Dember LM. Modern treatment of amyloidosis: Unresolved questions. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2009;20:469.
- Merlini G. Amyloidosis: Is a cure possible? Annals of Oncology. 2008;19(suppl):iv63.
- Jaccard A. High-dose melphalan versus melphalan plus dexamethasone for AL amyloidosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;357:1083.
