Diagnosis and Treatment > Signs and Symptoms
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Summary
POEMS syndrome (Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal protein and Skin changes) is a rare multisystemic disease. Clinical presentation is variable, the only mandatory criteria being polyneuropathy and monoclonal gammapathy in association with one major and one minor criterion. Primary adrenal insufficiency is rarely reported. We describe a case of a 33-year-old patient, in whom the presenting symptoms were mandibular mass, chronic sensory-motor peripheral polyneuropathy and adrenal insufficiency. The laboratory evaluation revealed thrombocytosis, severe hyperkalemia with normal renal function, normal protein electrophoresis and negative serum immunofixation for monoclonal protein. Endocrinologic laboratory work-up confirmed Addison’s disease and revealed subclinical primary hypothyroidism. Thoracic abdominal CT showed hepatosplenomegaly, multiple sclerotic lesions in thoracic vertebra and ribs. The histopathologic examination of the mandibular mass was nondiagnostic. Bone marrow biopsy revealed plasma cell dyscrasia and confirmed POEMS syndrome. Axillary lymphadenopathy biopsy: Castleman’s disease. Gluco-mineralocorticoid substitution and levothyroxine therapy were started with clinical improvement. Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) was planned, cyclophosphamide induction was started. Meanwhile the patient suffered two ischemic strokes which resulted in aphasia and hemiparesis. Cerebral angiography revealed vascular lesions compatible with vasculitis and stenosis of two cerebral arteries. The patient deceased 14 months after the diagnosis. The young age at presentation, multiplicity of manifestations and difficulties in investigation along with the absence of serum monoclonal protein made the diagnosis challenging. We report this case to highlight the need to consider POEMS syndrome in differential diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in association with endocrine abnormalities even in young patients.
Learning points:
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POEMS syndrome is considered a ‘low tumor burden disease’ and the monoclonal protein in 15% of cases is not found by immunofixation.
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Neuropathy is the dominant characteristic of POEMS syndrome and it is peripheral, ascending, symmetric and affecting both sensation and motor function.
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Endocrinopathies are a frequent feature of POEMS syndrome, but the cause is unknown.
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The most common endocrinopathies are hypogonadism, primary hypothyroidism and abnormalities in glucose metabolism.
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There is no standard therapy; however, patients with disseminated bone marrow involvement are treated with chemotherapy with or without HCT.
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Summary
Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is a potentially fatal condition characterized by infiltration of multiple organs by non-Langerhans histiocytes. Although endocrine dysfunction has been reported in association with ECD, to date, there have been no previous reports of empty sella syndrome (ESS) associated with it. We report the case of a patient with ECD who had symptomatic ESS. A 55-year-old man of Chinese ethnicity initially presented with symptoms of heart failure, fatigue and knee joint pain. Physical examination revealed xanthelasma, gynaecomastia, lung crepitations, hepatomegaly and diminished testicular volumes. He had laboratory evidence of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, secondary hypoadrenalism and GH deficiency. Imaging studies showed diffuse osteosclerosis of the long bones on X-ray, a mass in the right atrium and thickening of the pleura and of the thoracic aorta on fusion positron emission tomography–computed tomography. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed an empty sella. The diagnosis of ECD was confirmed by bone biopsy.
Learning points
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ECD is a multisystemic disease that can affect the pituitary and other organs. The diagnosis of ECD is based on clinical and radiological features and histology, showing lipid-laden CD68+ CD1a− S100− histiocytes surrounded by fibrosis.
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The finding of xanthelasmas especially in the presence of normal lipid levels in the presence of a multisystem infiltrative disorder should raise the suspicion of ECD.
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Systemic perturbation of autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of ECD and is an area that merits further research.
