title: Amyloidosis at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
abstract: The records of 52 patients with amyloidosis admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, between January 1969 and August 1982 were analysed. The male: female ratio was 1,3:1 and the mean age was 49,3 years. Forty-eight per cent of the patients had secondary amyloidosis, 21% had primary amyloidosis, 11,5% had localized amyloidosis and 11,5% had amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. Tuberculosis, chronic pulmonary sepsis and other chronic infections were present in 88% and rheumatoid arthritis in 16% of the patients with secondary amyloidosis. The commonest features at diagnosis were proteinuria (70%), oedema (52%) and hepatomegaly (39%). The diagnosis of amyloidosis was established by renal, liver and rectal biopsy (either singly or in combination) in 82% of cases. The prevalence of amyloidosis at autopsy was 0,28%.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013019:South Africa