GASTROINTESTINAL-MOTILITY DYSFUNCTION IN AMYLOIDOSIS

SYSTEMIC amyloidosis frequently involves the gastrointestinal tract and may result in obstruction, malabsorption, ulceration, hemorrhage or perforation as well as impaired motility.1 2 3 It is unclear whether the impaired gastrointestinal motility is secondary to the effects of amyloid on the smooth muscle or on the autonomic nervous system. We report on a patient with primary amyloidosis, in whom esophageal manometric and colonic myoelectric studies revealed a widespread disorder of gastrointestinal motility. The evidence suggests that neural dysfunction contributes to the abnormal motility associated with amyloidosis. Case Report A 68-year-old woman was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with. © 1979, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.