Monday 18 October 2010

MRCP revision battle 33.3: Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia, AKA lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, is a condition in which monoclonal proliferation of terminally differentiated lymphocytes results in a monoclonal IgM paraprotein.

The significance of this is that IgM carries a high risk of hyperviscosity syndrome.



Treatment for Waldenstom's:
  • none if asymptomatic
  • plasmapheresis if hyperviscosity
  • ? chemo


On to another paraproteinaemia, MGUS...