External-beam radiation therapy in the treatment of diffuse tracheobronchial amyloidosis.
Tracheobronchial amyloidosis is characterized by deposits of amyloid in airway walls. No effective treatment is known. We describe a 59-year-old woman who presented with increasing symptoms of airway obstruction due to diffuse deposition of amyloid throughout her tracheobronchial tree. She was treated with external-beam radiation therapy (20 Gy) with marked improvement in her symptoms, effort tolerance, bronchoscopic appearance, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (1.39 L to 1.97 L [42%]). This improvement was maintained during 21 months of follow-up.
Kalra
S
S
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA.
Utz
J P
JP
Edell
E S
ES
Foote
R L
RL
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome