[Gastrointestinal amyloidosis as a differential diagnostic problem].

The diagnostic radiologist may have problems with the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal amyloidosis combined with only uncharacteristic clinical symptoms. In the stomach upper gastrointestinal series show in most cases stenosing submucosal masses in the gastric antrum with diminished peristalsis and pliability. Sonography reveals a circular thickening of the gastric antrum wall. Only a synopsis of radiologic changes, the patients's history, laboratory tests and biopsies render a clue to the correct diagnosis. In the small bowel segmental or total intestinal dilatation with sonographically demonstrable thickening of the bowel wall and diminished motility, prolonged transit and eventually obstruction or paralytic ileus can be demonstrated. In patients with simultaneous plasmocytoma the radiologist has to take a gastrointestinal involvement by concurrent amyloidosis into account.