title: A 5-year prospective follow-up study in essential cryofibrinogenemia patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cryofibrinogenemia may be essential, or secondary to diseases such as neoplasia, infection, thrombosis, and collagen vascular diseases. In a previous study, we reported the occurrence of neoplasia in some essential cryofibrinogenemia patients after a short period of follow-up.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We performed a prospective multi-center 5-year follow-up study in essential cryofibrinogenemia patients (2005-2009).
  
  
  RESULTS
  23 patients with essential cryofibrinogenemia were included, mean age 59 years (range: 33-79), 14 males. After a mean follow-up period of 24 months, 11/23 (47%) of cases that were initially diagnosed as essential cryofibrinogenemia were found to have an underlying lymphoma (6 T lymphoma and 5 B lymphoma).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective study suggests that some cases of cryofibrinogenemia that are initially considered as essential, may have underlying lymphoma. Thus, we further suggest that regular follow-up should be performed in patients with essential cryofibrinogenemia.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital Angers, 4 rue Larrey, 49000 Angers, France. cristina.belizna@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belizna
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loufrani
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Subra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vitecocq
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Faller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghali
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tron
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamidou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henrion
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lévesque
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ifrah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies