amyloidosis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Medical
Quick answer
What does “amyloidosis” mean?
A medical condition characterised by the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein in tissues and organs.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medical condition characterised by the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein in tissues and organs.
A group of rare diseases that occur when amyloid, an abnormal protein, builds up in organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system, or digestive tract, impairing their function.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; pronunciation of secondary syllables may vary slightly.
Connotations
Purely medical/clinical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally rare outside medical contexts in both UK and US English.
Grammar
How to Use “amyloidosis” in a Sentence
patient + with + amyloidosisdiagnosis + of + amyloidosisamyloidosis + involving + organVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “amyloidosis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The organs can become amyloidosed.
- The tissue was amyloid-laden.
American English
- The tissue amyloidosed over time.
- The process of amyloidosing is slow.
adverb
British English
- The protein deposited amyloidotically.
- The disease progressed amyloidotically.
American English
- The organ failed amyloidotically.
- It presented amyloidotically.
adjective
British English
- amyloidotic tissue
- an amyloidotic kidney
American English
- amyloidotic deposits
- amyloidotic cardiomyopathy
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used almost exclusively in medical and biomedical research literature.
Everyday
Extremely rare; only used when discussing a specific medical diagnosis.
Technical
The primary context. Describes a specific pathological process in medicine, pathology, and related life sciences.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “amyloidosis”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “amyloidosis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “amyloidosis”
- Pronouncing it as 'am-ee-loy-DOH-sis' (incorrect stress).
- Using 'amyloid' when 'amyloidosis' is meant (e.g., 'He has amyloid' vs. 'He has amyloidosis').
- Misspelling as 'amiloidosis'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no universal cure, but treatments exist to manage symptoms, slow the production of amyloid protein, and support organ function. Some types, like AA amyloidosis, can be managed by treating the underlying inflammatory condition.
The main types are AL (Primary), AA (Secondary), Hereditary (familial), and Wild-type (age-related) ATTR amyloidosis.
The heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system, and digestive tract are commonly involved, though the pattern varies by type.
Diagnosis typically requires a tissue biopsy (e.g., from fat, bone marrow, or an affected organ) followed by special staining to detect amyloid deposits. Blood and urine tests, along with imaging studies, are also crucial.
A medical condition characterised by the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein in tissues and organs.
Amyloidosis is usually technical / medical in register.
Amyloidosis: in British English it is pronounced /ˌæmɪlɔɪˈdəʊsɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌæməˈlɔɪˌdoʊsɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'AMY' (like amylase) + 'LOID' (like colloid) + 'OSIS' (a condition) = a condition of starch-like protein deposits.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A (Highly technical term).
Practice
Quiz
What is amyloidosis?