ANNUAL EVALUATION OF HIP JOINTS AND HANDS FOR RADIOGRAPHIC SIGNS OF A-BETA(2)M-AMYLOIDOSIS IN LONG-TERM HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

Radiographs of hand and hip joints of 15 hemodialysis patients taken a nnually over at least 15 years were evaluated in this retrospective st udy. We looked for signs of A beta(2),M-amyloidosis such as lucencies, erosions, and soft tissue swelling. The femoral head-soft tissue dist ance (FHSTD) was used to estimate the soft tissue swelling of the hips . The number and size of lucencies, the number of erosions, and the FH STD increased during dialysis. Both hyperparathyroidism and failure of renal allograft transplantation influenced the development of lucenci es and erosions after 15 years. The FHSTD at the start of the dialysis appeared to be an independent prognostic factor for the lucencies of the hips and hands. We conclude that the radiological signs of A beta( 2)M-amyloidosis are influenced not only by the duration of dialysis, b ut also by age, failure of renal transplantation, hyperparathyroidism and the FHSTD at the start of dialysis.