As has been mentioned before aspiration of subcutaneous abdominal fat tissue can be helpful to detect amyloid. The procedure will be described in this section.
After histological confirmation of the presence and type of amyloid it is necessary for the assessment of prognosis and choice of therapy to obtain knowledge of severity of amyloid deposition in vital organs (such as heart, liver, and kidneys) and tissues (such as bone marrow, joints, peripheral and autonomic nerves).
In Groningen the so-called SAP (serum amyloid P component) scan has been introduced. This SAP scan has been developed by Pepys and Hawkins in London and can be used to obtain a visual and quantitative assessment of the severity of involvement of different organs as well as to evaluate the effect of treatment in the individual patient.