How to diagnose Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease ?
A health care provider diagnoses primary amyloidosis of the kidneys with
                
- a medical and family history  - a physical exam  - urinalysis  - blood tests  - a kidney biopsy
                
Medical and Family History
                
Taking a medical and family history may help a health care provider diagnose amyloidosis of the kidneys. He or she will ask the patient to provide a medical and family history.
                
Physical Exam
                
A physical exam may help diagnose primary amyloidosis of the kidneys. During a physical exam, a health care provider usually
                
- examines a patients body to check for swelling  - uses a stethoscope to listen to the lungs  - taps on specific areas of the patients body
                
Urinalysis
                
A health care provider may use urinalysisthe testing of a urine sampleto check for albumin and amyloid proteins in urine. The patient provides a urine sample in a special container at a health care providers office or a commercial facility. A nurse or technician can test the sample in the same location or send it to a lab for analysis. More-than-normal amounts of albumin in urine may indicate kidney damage due to primary amyloidosis. Amyloid proteins in urine may indicate amyloidosis.
                
Blood Tests
                
The health care provider may use blood tests to see how well the kidneys are working and to check for amyloid proteins and hyperlipidemia. A blood test involves drawing a patients blood at a health care providers office or a commercial facility and sending the sample to a lab for analysis. Blood tests for kidney function measure the waste products in the blood that healthy kidneys normally filter out. Hyperlipidemia may indicate nephrotic syndrome. Amyloid proteins in blood may indicate amyloidosis.
                
Kidney Biopsy
                
Only a biopsy can show the amyloid protein deposits in the kidneys. A health care provider may recommend a kidney biopsy if other tests show kidney damage. A kidney biopsy is a procedure that involves taking a piece of kidney tissue for examination with a microscope. A health care provider performs a kidney biopsy in a hospital with light sedation and local anesthetic. The health care provider uses imaging techniques such as ultrasound or a computerized tomography (CT) scan to guide the biopsy needle into the kidney and take the tissue sample. A pathologista doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseasesexamines the tissue in a lab for amyloid proteins and kidney damage.
                
The biopsy results can help the health care provider determine the best course of treatment. More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Kidney Biopsy.