Hemodialysis-Related Amyloidosis in the Tongue

Abstract

Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) represents a group of relatively rare disorders characterized by the systemic extracellular deposition of insoluble fibrils of amyloid protein in long-term dialysis patients. We describe herein a case of relatively early DRA on the tongue of a long-term dialysis patient. A 67-year-old man with a 39-year history of dialysis was referred for diagnosis of a tongue mass. On examination, a collection of whitish-yellow papules was identified on the ventral surface of the tongue tip. The pathological diagnosis was DRA. Clinicians should be aware that long-term dialysis can cause oral amyloidosis of the tongue.