Portuguese-type amyloid neuropathy in an English family

Abstract

A 31-year-old woman thought to be suffering from a psychiatric illness was found to have peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, keratoconjunctivitis sicca and vitreous opacities. Her mother had died 10 years previously, aged 42 years from an undiagnosed illness with similar features. Histological proof of amyloidosis was obtained in both cases. This is the second report of familial amyloid neuropathy in an English family.

Familiäre Amyloidose vom Typ Morbus Andrade in einer griechischen Familie

“…Danach wird die familiare Amyloidose, ob systemisch oder lokalisiert, primär oder sekundar, hauptsachlich nach dem Befall des zentralen Nervensystems (Mahood, 1980) in vier Typen unterteilt:…”

“…Bei Sektionen finden sich Einlagerungen von Amyloid in den Wänden der Ventrikel, im Plexus choroideus, in den hypoarachnoiden Raumen, in den Markscheiden der Nerven und Degeneration der Nervenfasern. Nach neueren Forschungen (Mahood, 1980) Andrade's disease, which is a type of familial amyloidosis, is not common in Greece and seems to be restricted to the region of Heraklion, Crete. The authors describe a case of Andrade's disease which began with ocular symptoms when the patient was 29.…”