title: [Diagnostic strategy in amyloidosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnosis of amyloidosis is a four-step strategy requiring: 1) a high degree of suspicion, as the clinical presentation of the disease is very polymorphous; 2) the biochemical nature of the disease; 3) the evaluation of the disease spread and 4) how it evolves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Simple and noninvasive biopsies usually make it possible to diagnose amyloidosis. Available treatments of generalized amyloidosis require an exact characterization of the nature of amyloid deposits, which is based on the clinical context, immunohistochemical analysis of amyloid deposits, and genetic testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management of amyloidosis should be improved by better characterization of amyloid deposits. This would result in epidemiological data which are currently lacking.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grateau
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lebrazi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valleix
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hachulla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delpech
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saïle
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000032:analysis*; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid