Ocular Adnexal Amyloidosis: A Mass Spectrometric Analysis.

PURPOSE: Ocular adnexal amyloidosis (OAA) may represent localized manifestation of an underlying systemic process. Accurate identification of the amyloid fibrils can guide the systemic evaluation and treatment. The aim of this study was to characterize subtypes of OAA using immunohistochemistry and mass spectrometric analysis and to correlate with ocular involvement and systemic association.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

Review of patients with OAA subtyped by immunohistochemistry and mass spectrometric analysis at the Cleveland Clinic from June 1995 to June 2017.

RESULTS

While immunohistochemistry identified AL amyloid protein in 67% (4/6) of specimens tested, mass spectrometry identified AL amyloid protein in all specimens (10/10). AL lambda was identified in 5 (50%) samples, kappa in 3 (30%), and both kappa and lambda light chains in 2 (20%). The 5 cases of conjunctival amyloidosis were either AL lambda only (3 cases) or both lambda and kappa (2 cases). There were 3 cases that had associated systemic involvement. Two of these had eyelid skin involvement and AL kappa amyloidosis and the other patient had uveal involvement and AL lambda amyloidosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary amyloidosis-AL is the most common form diagnosed by mass spectrometric analysis in patients with OAA. Immunohistochemistry is ineffective in the characterization of the amyloid deposits in a significant number of cases. Evaluation to exclude systemic involvement or associated underlying lymphoproliferative disorder is warranted.