title: [A case of primary colon amyloidosis presenting as hematochezia].
abstract: Amyloidosis is characterized by a deposition of insoluble fibrils in various organs and tissues. Amyloid deposition, in the gastrointestinal track, provokes a dysfunction of the organ, due to an accumulation of fibrils, and causes a variety of clinical symptoms and endoscopic findings. Primary amyloidosis in the gastrointestinal tract is rarely reported in Korea. We experienced a case of recurrent intestinal bleeding, in a 59-year-old female patient with primary amyloidosis. A colonoscopy revealed the presence of multiple large circular ulcers. In the entire colon, diffuse nodular lesions with edema and bleeding were found. A colonoscopic biopsy established the diagnosis of amyloidosis, to the exclusion of other disease components. We concluded that the patient had localized amyloidosis. Though a definitive therapeutic strategy has not been established for localized gastrointestinal amyloidosis, the patient has been successfully treated with a high-dose of steroids and azathioprine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hae Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Seong Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Sung Kook
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; D006801:Humans; D000075363:Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D013256:Steroids; C488629:azathiopurine; D015122:Mercaptopurine