Allegheny Health Network (AHN) believe a novel multidisciplinary approach to patient care, together with emerging diagnostic and therapeutic advances, can help to transform a rare disease called amyloidosis from a terminal illness into a manageable one.
Amyloidosis is a familiar disease to the people of western Pennsylvania, claiming the lives of three prominent politicians in the region in a span of less than 15 years: Pittsburgh mayor Richard S. Caliguiri in 1988, Erie mayor Louis Tullio in 1990, and Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey Sr. in 2000. This complex illness causes the body to deposit defective proteins into various organs, including the heart, liver, kidney, skin, eyes, lungs, and nervous system. Once there, these proteins ultimately disrupt normal organ function and can ultimately cause multi-organ failure.
The new Amyloidosis Program at AHN will draw upon the amyloid expertise of providers across multiple subspecialties to develop individualized treatment plans for patients.