Systemic amyloidosis can be diagnosed by subctaneous fat tissue biopsy of the hip

What is it about?

Subcutaneous fat tissue biopsy of the hip can be a safer screening method than that of the abdomen in patients with systemic amyloidosis (SA). In this paper, we suggested it by detailng three patients who could not be diagnosed with SA by abdominal fat tissue biopsy.

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Why is it important?

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the abdominal fat pad is sometimes difficult and can be dangerous for elderly patients whose abdominal fat layer is thin because of malnutrition. In such cases, alternative diagnostic methods are required. This article illustrates that subcutaneous fat tissue biopsy of the hip could be a useful procedure for diagnosing SA in elderly patients, particularly when a fat tissue biopsy of the abdomen is associated with a high risk of complications because of malnutrition.

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