Amyloidosis presenting as multiple vertebral fractures

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a plasma cell disorder characterized by the overproduction and tissue deposition of a monoclonal IG light chain or fragments. Musculoskeletal and soft tissue manifestations are arthropathy, myopathy, bone lesions, and lymphadenopathy. It can also present with symptoms and signs that mimic a variety of rheumatic conditions, such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome polymyalgia rheumatica, a myeloma or a bone tumour. We describe the case of a 64-year-old white woman with an acute history of fall from own height in whose investigation revealed fractures in T8, T9, T11 and L1. In order to determine the nature of lesion, the patient was submitted to percutaneous biopsy guided by fluoroscopy of T11, without any surgical complications. Pathological findings were compatible with deposition of amyloid protein and amyloidosis. Amyloidosis must be considered in differential diagnosis of pathological fractures together with other osteopenic and lytic conditions, such as bone metastasis, metabolic and infectious diseases.

Resumo

A amiloidose é uma doença caracterizada por produção excessiva e depósito tecidual de cadeias leves de imunoglobulina monoclonal. Manifestações musculoesqueléticas incluem artropatia, miopatia, lesão óssea e linfadenomegalia. Descrevemos um caso de uma paciente de 64 anos com história recente de queda de própria altura com estudo de imagem revelando fratura de T8, T9, T11 e L1. A paciente foi submetida à cifoplastia de L1 para tratamento da dor associada à fratura, e a biópsia óssea realizada durante o procedimento revelou tratar-se de amiloidose. Esse diagnóstico também deve ser considerado no diagnóstico diferencial de fraturas patológicas em qualquer idade.

Keywords

Low pain - spinal diseases - amyloidosis

Palavras-chave

Dor lombar - doenças da coluna vertebral - amiloidose

¹Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, Instituto de Assistência Médica ao Servidor Público Estadual (Iamspe), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

²Neurosurgery Residency Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.