A Case of Amyloidosis Presenting as Chronic Cholecystitis, Misdiagnosed as Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Korean J Gastroenterol. 2016 Jul 25;68(1):49-53. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2016.68.1.49.

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a rare disease defined by extracellular deposits of amorphous fibrillar proteins, derived from aggregations of misfolded proteins. Localization of amyloidosis in the gallbladder is uncommon; only eight cases have been reported. We describe a case of amyloidosis diagnosed by cholecystectomy, which possibly also affected the liver and kidney. The patient was misdiagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica, but after a cholecystectomy to treat chronic cholecystitis, we ultimately diagnosed him with amyloidosis. We review amyloidosis with gallbladder involvement in the literature.

Keywords: Amyloidosis; Cholecystitis; Gallbladder.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / diagnostic imaging
  • Aged
  • Amyloidosis / diagnosis*
  • Cholecystitis / diagnosis*
  • Cholecystitis / pathology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Gallbladder / diagnostic imaging
  • Gallbladder / pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica / diagnosis
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Ultrasonography