Amyloid in intervertebral discs: a histopathological investigation of surgical material from 100 consecutive operations on herniated discs.

Material from 100 consecutive operations on herniated discs has been investigated for amyloid. Various degrees of amyloid degeneration were found in disc tissue from 41 patients. Material from patients over 50 years old showed significantly more amyloid than that from younger patients; there was no sex difference. Eighteen patients had previously been operated on for herniated discs; seven of these (39%) had pyrophosphate deposits in their disc tissue, often in close topographical relation to amyloid. 26% of the patients had calcium phosphate deposits and 29% had slight inflammation--both without relation to amyloid. No pathogenetic correlation between amyloid degeneration and herniation of intervertebral disc tissue could be shown.