Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy Type IV (FINNISH) with Rapid Clinical Progression in an Iranian Woman: A Case Report

Babaei-Ghazani, Arash; Eftekharsadat, Bina

Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy Type IV (FINNISH) with Rapid Clinical Progression in an Iranian Woman: A Case Report

Document Type : Case Report(s)

Authors

Arash Babaei-Ghazani ¹

Bina Eftekharsadat ²

¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) type IV (FINNISH) is a rare clinical entity with challenging neuropathy and cosmetic deficits. Amyloidosis can affect peripheral sensory, motor, or autonomic nerves. Nerve lesions are induced by deposits of amyloid fibrils and treatment approaches for neuropathy are challenging. Involvement of cranial nerves and atrophy in facial muscles is a real concern in daily life of such patients. Currently, diagnosis of neuropathy can be made by electrodiagnostic studies and diagnosis of amyloidosis can be made by genetic testing or by detection of amyloid deposition in abdominal fat pad, rectal, or nerve biopsies. It is preferable to consider FAP as one of the differential diagnosis of a case presented with multiple cranial nerves symptoms. The authors present a case of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) type IV with severe involvement of multiple cranial nerves, peripheral limb neuropathy, and orthostatic hypotension.

Keywords

Amyloid neuropathies

Familial

Cranial nerve diseases

Hypotension

Orthostatic

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