POEMS syndrome revealed by multiple glomeruloid angiomas.
POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, skin disorders) is a rare multisystemic disease associated with plasma cell dyscrasia. A 68-year-old woman with chronic renal insufficiency and arterial hypertension included in her medical history was admitted to the hospital with confusion, somnolence and asthenia. She presented ascites, hepatosplenomegaly, leg oedema, distal dysesthesias, leuconychia and multiple nodular purple red angiomas on the trunk, upper limbs and fingers. Hypothyroidism was revealed in the laboratory investigations and monoclonal IgG peak in immunoelectrophoresis. Electromyography showed both demyelinisating and axonal degenerative neuropathy. The diagnosis of POEMS syndrome was based on the dermatopathological examination of a cutaneous angioma; histology revealed features of glomeruloid angioma, a specific marker of this syndrome.
Scheers
Christel
C
Department of Dermatology, CHU Saint-Pierre and CHU Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium. christel_email@yahoo.com
Kolivras
Athanassios
A
Corbisier
Alexandra
A
Gheeraert
Patrick
P
Renoirte
Charles
C
Theunis
Anne
A
de Saint-Aubain
Nicolas
N
André
Josette
J
Sass
Ursula
U
Song
Micheline
M
D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016878:POEMS Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*