PMID: 16624116Apr 21, 2006Paper

A clinical analysis of 32 cases of POEMS syndrome

Zhonghua nei ke za zhi
Wei-guo ZhuTi Shen

Abstract

To compare the clinical features of POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes) syndrome patients from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) with those of patients in previous reports. Thirty-two patients with POEMS syndrome were identified in PUMCH over the last two decades. The clinical features of these patients were compared with those in other large series from Japan, China, and the United States. The average age at presentation was 45.8 years; 22 were men. All 32 patients had polyneuropathy and decreased knee-jerk reflex. Organomegaly was present in 31 patients. Nine patients underwent lymph node biopsy and 5 of them were proven to have Castleman's disease. Twenty-six patients had at least one endocrine abnormality at time of presentation, not including more commonly prevalent diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism. Seventy-two percent (18/25) of the patients had a detectable monoclonal protein with serum immunofixation, but only 16.7% (4/24) had positive results with serum protein electrophoresis. Skin changes were documented in 30 patients. In comparison with other series, we found a higher prevalence of organomegaly and papilloedema. The rates of M protein level, ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Castleman Disease

Castleman disease is a rare disorder that involves an overgrowth of cells in the lymph nodes. Unicentric Castleman disease affects one lymph node, usually in the chest or abdomen. Multicentric Castleman disease affects multiple lymph nodes, commonly located in the neck, collarbone, underarm and groin areas. Discover the latest research on Castleman disease here.