Key Information
summary/abstract
AL Amyloidosis (historically called “primary” amyloidosis): The most common form of systemic (whole-body) amyloidosis. It happens when certain white blood cells in the bone marrow called plasma cells develop an abnormality (called a plasma cell dyscrasia) and produce abnormal light chain proteins (part of an antibody). These abnormal light chain proteins, or sometimes the whole antibody molecule, build up in body tissues as amyloid deposits. AL amyloidosis is closely related to a blood disorder called multiple myeloma. In about 2% of cases, a type of lymphoma (B-cell lymphoma) is the underlying cause instead.