[The incidence and possibility of detecting various forms of senile amyloidosis (based on autopsy data from the clinics of the I. M. Sechenov 1st Moscow Medical Institute from 1955 to 1987)].

It is shown that senile amyloidosis can not be detected without use of special stain (Congo red, thyophlavin T): not a single case was found when 17445 pathology records were reexamined for 30-year period. Special staining methods allow detection of senile amyloidosis in 6.8% of cases. Local forms of senile amyloidosis (isolated auricula amyloidosis, aortal amyloidosis, cerebral amyloidosis, amyloidosis of the pancreatic insular apparatus or that of seminal vesicles) constitute 85.4%, generalized and multiorgan forms--14.6%. Every form of the senile amyloidosis has its own features with regard to the incidence, age, sex and age peak.