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Senile cardiac amyloid discovered at autopsy is usually regarded as an incidental finding. However, in immunohistochemical studies of autopsy material, three distinct forms of senile cardiovascular amyloid have been characterized, including a systemic form that diffusely infiltrates the cardiac ventricles. The systemic form can be identified immunohistochemically with use of antiserum to human prealbumin. We diagnosed senile systemic amyloidosis causing cardiac dysfunction in five men (57 to 72 years old) by using antiserum to prealbumin in myocardial biopsy tissue. Clinically, the five patients were indistinguishable from patients with nonsecretory immunoglobulin-derived primary amyloidosis with cardiac involvement; only immunohistochemical staining of myocardial tissue distinguished between the two entities. This distinction is important, because the treatment and prognosis of the two disorders are different. We recommend immunohistochemical staining of myocardial tissue for prealbumin in patients with biopsy-proved cardiac amyloid in whom no monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain is detectable in the serum or urine.

The Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetic disease which is characterized by the gradual emergence of cystic lesions in the kidneys, which replace the renal parenchyma causing deterioration of its function to stage 5. The PKD is one of the causes of Chronic Kidney Disease on renal replacement therapy (RRT). The Polycystic Kidney Disease has two patterns of inheritance: autosomal dominant pattern and the autosomal recessive pattern. The dominant form is more common but less severe than autosomal recessive form. PKD is known that is caused by mutations in several loci of the human genome. The autosomal dominant form can be caused by mutations in two different genes (PKD1 and PKD2), unlike the autosomal recessive form only has a causal gene (PKHD1). At present the international scientific community efforts toward deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of this entity for the purpose of developing therapeutic alternatives that avoid the appearance of cysts or progression of those already in place. The aim is to systematize the available scientific knowledge about Polycystic Kidney Disease and provide a source of consultation update on clinical characteristics and therapeutic options for patients with PKD.