title: Chronic hyposphagma revealing primary ocular amyloidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amyloidosis is an extracellular accumulation of a clear substance called amyloid in different organs. Fragments of identical proteinic chains are the components of this substance. Amyloidosis can be primary, secondary (chronic inflammation, multiple myeloma, tumour), senile or hereditary.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 59-year-old healthy patient was referred with recurrent subconjunctival haemorrhages in his right eye since one year. The clinical examination disclosed the presence of yellowish subconjunctival deposits associated with haemorrhages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathologic examination of these deposits revealed the presence of amyloid. A complete work-up to exclude a systemic disease gave negative results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary conjunctival amyloidosis is a rare clinical entity that is mainly diagnosed histopathologically. In the presence of a recurrent hyposphagma of unknown aetiology the diagnosis of amyloidosis should be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland. catherine.brozou@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Catherine G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Brozou
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baglivo
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Gottrau
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Girardet
authors.forename: Avinoam B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Safran
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005130:Eye Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein