- amyloid infiltration occurs in all species
- an inert substance deposited under the endothelium and basement membranes of a variety of tissues
- renal glomeruli
- Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
- liver (between the sinusoidal reticulum and the hepatic cords)
Causes
May be a primary condition or appear secondary to some chronic tissue destructive process
- an infectious process elsewhere in the body
- a result of sustained antigenic stimulation, eg repeated injections with an antigenic substance or production of excessive antibody by leukocytes
Gross
- pale (greyish waxy appearance)
- enlarged
- rounded edges
- firm
- very prone to rupture
Microscopically
- deposition of amyloid in the space of Disse
- shows 'apple-green' fluorescence under polarised light after staining with Congo Red