Amyloid deposits in the aged tongue: a postmortem study of 107 individuals over 60 years of age.

The incidence and distribution of amyloid deposits in aged tongues obtained from 107 necropsies over 60 years of age were examined. Thirty-nine tongues were affected with amyloid deposits and the overall incidence was 36.4%. The incidence increased with each advancing decade, and the group over 90 years old showed the highest incidence of 59.6%. Although the amount of amyloid deposits differed in each case, severely affected cases were most frequently found in the advanced decades. Amyloid deposits were almost always confined to blood vessels, especially arterioles and arteries. They occasionally occupied the entire wall and occluded the lumen. Blood vessels affected with amyloid were usually located in the muscle layers of the tongue. Vessels in the subepithelial layer and lingual glands were, however, sometimes affected. Amyloid deposits were resistant to Congo red staining with the potassium permangante method, and stained positively with DMAB. The present study suggested that the tongue is an important organ as to the appearance of amyloid deposits in elderly persons.