Oral amyloidosis: a late complication of multiple myeloma.

Amyloidosis as a complication of multiple myeloma carries with it grave prognostic implications, and the median survival of myeloma patients following a diagnosis of amyloidosis is only 4 months. This article describes a patient who survived 6 years with kappa light chain myeloma, but only 4 months after the development of oral amyloid deposits. Oral amyloidosis may be clinically difficult to distinguish from fibrous, neurogenous, or salivary gland pathosis; however, histologic specimens stained with Congo red have a characteristic "apple green" appearance when examined microscopically with polarized light.