Polyneuropathy with osteosclerotic myeloma--POEMS syndrome. A case report.
A rare form of plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by associated polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes has been termed the POEMS syndrome. The pathophysiology is unknown; plasma cell dyscrasia is essential; secondary manifestations are unexplained. We report a 67-year-old man with a 7-month history of progressive weakness and numbness of the legs. Clinical examination revealed sensorimotor polyneuropathy, predominantly affecting the lower extremities, hepatomegaly, and skin haemangiomas. Additional investigations disclosed IgG-lambda monoclonal serum protein, endocrine abnormalities, elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein level and an osteoblastic lesion of the lumbar vertebra. Biopsy of the osteosclerotic vertebra showed a marked lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate. MRI of the liver disclosed two haemangiomas; this association has not been reported previously.
Vidaković
A
A
Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Simić
P
P
Stojisavljević
N
N
Elezović
I
I
Trikić
R
R
Apostolski
S
S
D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D016878:POEMS Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology