A 63-year-old man develops edema, and dyspnea on exertion. He has no prior cardiac or renal conditions, and his examination is significant for macroglossia, elevated jugular venous pressure (JVP), hepatomegaly, and 3+ pedal edema. His investigations reveal 3.5 g/d of protein in the urine, anemia, normal fasting glucose, and serum immunoelectrophoresis is positive for a monoclonal immunoglobulin. Which of the following is the most characteristic neurologic finding associated with this condition?
High-Yield Explanation
(a) Source: (Kasper, p. 2027) In addition to peripheral motor and sensory neuropathy, cardiac involvement, tongue enlargement, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations, and carpal tunnel syndrome are also seen in amyloidosis. The specific diagnosis requires tissue biopsy with presence of amyloid with specific stains. In primary amyloidosis and myeloma, the amyloid protein is of the AL type. In reactive amyloidosis, the protein is of the amyloid A protein (AA) type.