Intestinal pseudo-obstruction associated with amyloidosis

Abstract

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a condition characterised by clinical manifestations of mechanical obstruction of the intestine in the absence of any organic occlusion of the lumen. This syndrome has rarely been reported to complicate the course of systemic amyloidosis. We describe the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with the syndrome of small bowel pseudo-obstruction secondary to AL amyloid infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. We comment on the pathophysiology and on the clinical importance of amyloidosis-associated intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Keywords:

• Amyloidosis
• pseudo-obstruction
• monoclonal gammopathy
• laparotomy

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.