SYSTEMIC AMYLOIDOSIS FOLLOWING ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS ASSOCIATED WITHCONGESTIVE-HEART-FAILURE - A CASE-REPORT

We report the case of a 38-year-old man who developed fatal, systemic amyloidosis following ankylosing spondylitis. He was admitted for symp toms of congestive heart failure. Based on parotid gland biopsy and ec hocardiography, he was diagnosed as having systemic amyloidosis follow ing active ankylosing spondylitis. However, the clinical course was ra pidly progressive and eventually the patient died of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The association has been reported thus far in a limited number of cases worldwide. The literature has featured localized lesi ons and a benign clinical course of the amyloidosis. This case, the fi rst report from Japan, indicates that the amyloidosis associated with ankylosing spondylitis might exhibit a rapidly progressive clinical co urse, thereby suggesting that in such a case, meticulous treatment is required.