Renal amyloidosis and subcutaneous drug abuse.

Two drug addicts who practiced subcutaneous injection of crushed tripelennamine and pentazocine tablets, a practice known as "skin-popping," developed nephrotic syndrome and demonstrated amyloidosis on renal biopsy. These patients had chronic inflammation of the skin in the form of abscesses and ulcerations. Although both patients were long-standing drug abusers, they had practiced intradermal drug administration for only 3 years. The occurrence of amyloidosis in these patients appears to relate to their particular drug habir and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of proteinuria in this patient population.