title: [Pulmonary Amyloidosis: A Diagnostic Challenge].
abstract: Amyloidosis is characterized by amyloid extracellular deposition in organs and tissues. Pulmonary involvement is a rare manifestation of the disease and it can be focal or as part of systemic amyloidosis. We report two cases. Case 1: 71 year-old female with bronchiectasis and Sjogrenâ syndrome, who complained of anorexia, weight loss and a productive cough. The diagnostic study included a surgical lung biopsy and histological examination demonstrated pulmonary amyloidosis. Case 2: 83 year-old male patient, ex-smoker, asymptomatic, whose routine chest x-ray showed a nodular opacity in the right lung field. A transthoracic biopsy revealed an amyloid lung tumor. These cases illustrate a rare disease which in Case 1 also coexisted with Sjögrenâs syndrome and bronchiectasis. The most important differential diagnosis is cancer and so a definitive diagnosis is essential, as amyloidosis is usually benign and indolent.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Madama
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robalo-Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia A. Centro Hospital e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gamboa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male