Amyloid deposits of internal elastic lamina in temporal arteritis.

Ten biopsy specimens from patients with temporal arteritis showed amyloid deposits replacing the arterial internal elastic lamina. In three cases the inflammatory reaction was very mild, but amyloidosis was advanced, thus suggesting a primary pathogenetic role for amyloid degeneration in temporal arteritis. The findings are compatible with those of systemic amyloidosis in patients with arteritis temporalispolymyalgia rheumatica syndrome in a few isolated instances.