Postgraduate medical journal
-
A 74 year old man with light-chain myeloma developed amyloidosis with macroglossia after 10 years of therapy with alkylating agents. Over a 2-year period his tongue enlarged to persistently protrude from his mouth, inhibit his speech, interfere with normal swallowing and eventually threaten his airway. ⋯ Within two weeks the patient's speech became comprehensible and his ability to eat returned to normal. Although rare in amyloidosis, massive macroglossia may occur and surgical correction is easily achieved.