Systemic amyloidosis presenting as a mass of the conjunctival semilunar fold.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of systemic amyloidosis that presented as a mass of the plica semilunaris (semilunar fold) of the conjunctiva.


METHODS
Case report.


RESULTS
A healthy 56-year-old man developed a fleshy, hemorrhagic lesion of the semilunar fold of the left conjunctiva. Excisional biopsy revealed an acellular lesion of the conjunctival stroma that stained positively for Congo red and showed apple-green birefringence and dichroism with polarization microscopy. The diagnosis was amyloidosis of the semilunar fold of the conjunctiva. Subsequent evaluation disclosed systemic amyloidosis. The patient remains asymptomatic.


CONCLUSIONS
Although conjunctival amyloidosis usually occurs as a localized lesion without systemic involvement, it can be the initial sign of systemic amyloidosis.
Shields
J A
JA
Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Eagle
R C
RC
Shields
C L
CL
Green
M
M
Singh
A D
AD
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged