BILATERAL LAMBDA-LIGHT CHAIN AMYLOIDOMAS OF THE TRIGEMINAL GANGLIA, NERVES AND ROOTS

We describe a patient who developed chronic bilateral trigeminal neuro pathy that was found at autopsy to be due to lambda light chain amyloi dosis involving the trigeminal nerves, ganglia and roots bilaterally, as well as part of the intrapontine course of the trigeminal nerve fib res. No amyloid was found elsewhere in the nervous system or systemica lly. Review of previous reports indicates that the clinical features o f trigeminal amyloidosis are quite stereotyped, with initial trigemina l neuralgia or dysaesthesiae, and subsequent development of facial ana esthesia and weakness of muscles of mastication. The disorder is usual ly unilateral but may rarely, as in the present case, occur bilaterall y.