Giant hepatomegaly and portal hypertension in an elderly patient with primary liver amyloidosis: an uncommon clinical occurence

Abstract. – Primary systemic amyloidosis (AL) is an uncommon disease characterized by the extracellular deposition of a protein with a beta-fibrillar structure, consisting of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains, l or k (ratio of l to k, 3:1). In systemic amyloidosis liver involvement is frequent but it rarely has clinical importance. The massive and localized liver deposition of amyloid, characterized by marked hepatomegaly and portal hypertension without hepato-cellular failure and by a severe prognosis, without systemic involvement, is less frequent. The authors describe an unusual case of primary hepatic amyloidosis with giant hepatomegaly, intrahepatic cholestasis, portal hypertension and splenomegaly, occurred in an elderly patient.