Key Information
Amyloidosis is a rare and serious protein deposition disease. It is caused by an abnormal protein called amyloid that builds up in tissues or organs. As the amount of amyloid protein deposits increase in a tissue or organ, they interfere with the tissue or organ's healthy function. Eventually, the amyloid protein deposits cause symptoms and organ failure. Amyloidosis is sometimes fatal.
Amyloid protein deposits, or amyloidosis, may be localized to organs, such as the lung, skin, bladder, or bowel, or they can be systemic. "Systemic" means that the deposits may be found throughout the body. Systemic amyloidosis is the most common. Although amyloidosis is not a type of cancer, it may be associated with certain blood cancers like multiple myeloma.
Amyloidosis is a very rare disorder. Because it is such a rare disorder, it has been difficult to study. However, doctors and researchers have begun to understand more about amyloidosis over the past few decades. Research continues to uncover more about this disorder.