Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis refers to abnormal deposits of protein in various areas of the body. While some cases of amyloidosis may not cause problems, the protein deposits often cause detrimental changes to the affected tissues, resulting in severe illness. There are three main types of amyloidosis: primary, secondary, and familial.  For secondary amyloidosis, the cause is directly related to another illness or infection which causes the protein deposits to develop; bedsore patients are at risk for secondary amyloidosis if the sores become infected. This is especially true if osteomyelitis has developed, as the infected bone tissue may be difficult or impossible to cure.

Symptoms

The symptoms of amyloidosis vary depending upon which areas of the body have been affected by the proteins. Any area organ can be involved, including the liver, bowels, skin, heart, and lungs. This means that symptoms are often vague or inconclusive, however, they can include:

Numbness
Swelling
Fatigue
Weight Loss
Shortness of Breath

When amyloidosis is suspected, physicians must conduct tests in order to confirm its presence. Generally, this is done by performing a small biopsy of the area where amyloidosis is suspected. This biopsy is treated with a special dye which shows any abnormal protein deposits clearly.

Treatment

Treatment for amyloidosis involves not only treating the affected organ, but clearing the underlying infection/illness that has caused the amyloidosis to occur. In cases where the progression of amyloidosis is severe, effective treatment may not be available, depending upon the affected areas of the body. Secondary amyloidosis which affects multiple areas of the body has been known to cause kidney failure in some patients.

Because of the severity of this disorder, patients who suffer from bedsores should be particularly concerned about the chances of infection and complications due to infection. It is highly important that any infections that a bedsore patient develops are carefully treated, and careful observation of symptoms is maintained.