Gastrointestinal angiographic findings in systemic amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a multisystem disease process of unknown cause in which characteristically staining protein-polysaccharide material is deposited in body tissues. Although gastrointestinal involvement is usually asymptomatic, amyloid infiltration of mesenteric and submucosal vessel walls may be associated with acute or recurrent gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with the diagnosis of amyloidosis. Angiography in such cases may demonstrate arterial and venous changes as a result of these vascular wall deposits. Two patients with proven amyloidosis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage are presented, and their angiographic findings are discussed with the pathologic correlations.