Amyloidosis in a case of ankylosing spondylitis with a review of the literature.

A 53-year-old man with a 20-year history of ankylosing spondylitis presented with proteinuria and acute renal insufficiency. Amyloidosis was diagnosed on renal biopsy. The association of secondary amyloidosis has been described with collagen vascular diseases, however, a review of the literature reveals few cases associated with the spondyloarthropathies. We were able to find only 2 cases in the American literature. Thus, although a rare complication, amyloidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of proteinuria and renal insufficiency in spondyloarthropathy.