Primary systemic amyloidosis and the gastrointestinal tract.

Clinical manifestations of primary amyloidosis can be subtle, particularly when the gastrointestinal tract is involved. We present two cases that illustrate the diversity of such involvement and the subsequent problems with diagnosis. Gastrointestinal effects of primary systemic amyloidosis are reviewed and clinical pointers towards diagnosis are discussed. In particular these cases illustrate the importance of providing all the clinical details to the pathologist and mentioning amyloidosis as a possible diagnosis.