Amyloidosis is the name for a series of rare, serious illnesses caused by a build-up of an aberrant protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom.
In 2018, Mr Musharraf was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness in the United Arab Emirates.
Amyloidosis is caused by a protein called amyloid.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, amyloidosis can occur as a sequel to another health disease or as a main condition. It said that sometimes amyloidosis is caused by a gene mutation, but other times the reason of amyloidosis is unknown.
Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf (retired) has been hospitalised for the past three weeks after his condition deteriorated, according to his family. His family stated he is suffering from Amyloidosis and appealed for ease in his everyday life in a message issued on Mr Musharraf's official Twitter account.
He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalized for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis). Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living," the tweet said.
The following are some of the most common symptoms (as listed on Johns Hopkins' website):
Feeling really weary or weak
Weight loss without effort
Swelling of the stomach, legs, ankles, and feet
Numbness, tingling, or discomfort in the hands or feet
Skin that is quickly bruised
Purpura (purple patches) or bruised-looking skin around the eyes
After an injury, you're bleeding more than usual.
Tongue enlargement
Breathing problems
There is no cure for amyloidosis at this time. The amyloid deposits can't be eliminated directly. As a result, the doctors may talk about Chemotherapy, Bone marrow.There are some medicines too, which are used to treat Amyloidosis.