Diagnosing Light Chain Amyloidosis on Temporal Artery Biopsies for Suspected Giant Cell Arteritis

We report 2 such cases where initial symptoms and signs were identical to and mistaken for those of giant cell arteritis, associated with polymyalgia rheumatica. Neither patient responded to high-dose corticosteroids; instead, their temporal artery biopsies revealed amyloid deposits and other investigations confirmed a diagnosis of systemic AL amyloidosis. Review of the literature reveals similar cases of diagnostic confusion spanning 75 years. We have summarized the findings and learning points from cases reported in the past 30 years and highlight the need for increased awareness and investigation of this underrecognized syndrome.
Source: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Original Contribution Source Type: research