2020 Volume 42 Issue 4 Pages 306-311
Background. Clinicians should consider the possibility of pulmonary amyloidosis as a differential diagnosis of diffuse cystic lung disease. Case. A 72-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a chest abnormality with multiple pulmonary cysts under a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica and Sjögren's syndrome. A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy revealed amyloid deposition in the bronchus, pulmonary artery wall, and alveolar septum, so we diagnosed him with pulmonary amyloidosis associated with Sjögren's syndrome. In addition, we speculated that the pulmonary cysts had been caused by the loss of elastic fibers in the alveolar walls due to amyloid deposition. Conclusion. A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy is considered a useful strategy for the diagnosis and elucidation of various conditions in pulmonary amyloidosis.
