Secondary amyloidosis in Crohn's disease of childhood.

Secondary amyloidosis is a rare complication of Crohn's disease, especially in pediatric patients. This report describes an 11-year-old child with Crohn's disease who developed intermittent proteinuria and thyroid enlargement at 14 years of age as the initial manifestations of secondary amyloidosis. Deterioration in renal function resulted in her death at 20 years of age. Published reports that discuss the occurrence of systemic amyloidosis in Crohn's disease and the pediatric age group are reviewed.