Incidence of light chain amyloidosis in Florence metropolitan area, Italy: a population-based study.

Light-chain amyloidosis (AL) is considered a rare disease, although few studies have assessed its epidemiology. Therefore, we felt it appropriate to examine the regional incidence of new AL diagnosis at Careggi University Hospital, the only multidisciplinary regional referral centre for amyloidosis serving the Florence metropolitan area, in Italy. At our institution, AL diagnosis was performed by biopsy of abdominal fat pad or of another involved organ, showing amyloid deposits characterised as AL type by immunohistochemistry, optic/immunoelectron microscopy or proteomics [[1]]. [Extracted from the article]