[Senile amyloidosis: from the Schwartz tetrad to the present].

Senile amyloidosis can be systemic (generalized) or local, this being determined by the protein precursor of the amyloid fibrils. Systemic cardiovascular amyloidosis should be distinguished from AL-amyloidosis. Senile amyloidosis is represented by both endocrine and nonendocrine forms. Endocrine forms include isolated auricular amyloidosis and amyloidosis of the Langerhans islands, while non-endocrine forms include aortic amyloidosis, cerebral amyloidosis, eye amyloidosis and amyloidosis of the prostate and/or seminal vesicles. Most frequent are combinations of the endocrine with aortic amyloidosis or Langerhand island amyloidosis with cerebral amyloidosis and eye amyloidosis. These data reject the Schwarts tetrad as necessary manifestation of senility.