title: Clinicopathologic analysis of POEMS syndrome and related diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  POEMS syndrome, a rare paraneoplastic disease, is related to multiple organs, multiple systems, and multiple disciplines and can be mistaken for other disorders. Consequently, the diagnoses are often delayed. In this work we studied the clinicopathologic characteristics of the POEMS syndrome to improve early diagnosis to prevent irreversible damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a clinicopathologic analysis of 9 cases of POEMS and made a differential diagnosis with related diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients with POEMS syndrome were shown to have complicated clinical characteristics, including peripheral neuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma proliferative disorder, skin changes, extravascular volume overload, sclerotic bone lesions, thrombocytosis, and Castleman disease. POEMS syndrome shared many elements with other diseases and the key way to differentiate them was to determine whether there were other fundamental POEMS syndrome symptoms or signs. The level of M-protein in serum and plasma cells in bone marrow of POEMS patients was lower than that of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Sclerotic bone lesions were a distinctive feature in patients with POEMS, compared with in those with MM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some unique clinicopathologic characteristics of POEMS syndrome can be used for differential diagnosis. This study provides increased awareness of POEMS syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China; Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xianqiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yilong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: zhuyan19591959@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000175:diagnosis; D016878:POEMS Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Clinicopathologic characteristics; Differential diagnosis; Multiple myeloma; Osteosclerotic myeloma; Sclerotic bone lesions