Long-term follow-up of systemic reactive AA amyloidosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis: successful treatment with intermediate-dose corticosteroid.

Reactive AA amyloidosis frequently develops in patients with a long history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), usually resulting in an unfavorable outcome due to dysfunction of the vital organs. We report a 56-year-old woman with this form of amyloidosis secondary to RA who has been successfully treated with intermediate-dose prednisolone for two and a half years since diagnosis. Because prednisolone is superior to other drugs used for amyloidosis with respect to possible harmful effects on vital organs, we can safely try this drug as an alternative therapy to improve the prognosis even in patients with severe organ dysfunction.