title: Surgical removal of amyloid-laden lymph nodes: a possible therapeutic approach in a primary systemic AL amyloidosis patient with focal lymphadenopathy.
abstract: We report a patient with primary systemic AL amyloidosis who suffered from remarkable bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. Intensive chemotherapies, including two cycles of high-dose melphalan with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, were insufficiently effective for both the lymphadenopathy and amyloidogenic IgGλ-type M-protein in serum, but the patient showed complete haematological remission after extensive surgical removal of enlarged lymph nodes that had massive depositions of λ-type immunoglobulin light chain-derived amyloid. Lymphadenectomy may be a possible therapeutic approach with regard to both cosmetic and haematological aspects in primary systemic AL amyloidosis patients with focal lymphadenopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan. matsuma@shinshu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Nagaaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Ko-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimojima
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mishima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Shu-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000276:immunology*; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000276:immunology; D000075363:Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains