Amyloid goiter: two cases and a review of the literature.

Although involvement of the thyroid gland by amyloid is a relatively common phenomenon, clinically significant enlargement of the thyroid owing to amyloid deposition is an extremely rare occurrence. We describe two cases of amyloid goiter and review the relevant literature. The first case was systemic amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever. The second case was a chronic renal failure patient who presented with an enlarged thyroid and upper airway obstructive symptoms. To date, true amyloid goiter secondary to amyloidosis associated with familial Mediterranean fever has only been reported in twelve patients.

Dystrophic calcification of fetal myocardium: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: A diagnosis of myocardial dystrophic calcification, a rare cause of fetal cardiac masses, is presented. METHODS: The fetal echocardiography of a 26-year-old pregnant woman who was referred to the Pediatric Cardiology Department at 20 weeks' gestation revealed an echogenic mass in the post wall of the left ventricle. RESULTS: The pregnancy was terminated. The histopathology of the necropsy material revealed dystrophic calcification. CONCLUSION: The dystrophic calcification of myocardium must be kept in mind in prenatal differential diagnosis of intracardiac masses for patient management and genetic counseling.