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A case of POEMS syndrome treated by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology volume 4, pages 686–691 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Background A 55-year-old woman with no remarkable medical history presented to a neurology ward with a 17-week history of rapidly progressive gait difficulties that confined her to a wheelchair.

Investigations Electroneuromyography, immunoelectrophoresis, bone radiography, lesion-targeted bone-marrow examination, blood tests.

Diagnosis Neuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome.

Management High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

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Figure 1: CT scan of the pelvis of a patient with POEMS syndrome.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Janet Jacobson for her excellent editorial assistance. Désirée Lie, University of California, Irvine, CA, is the author of and is solely responsible for the content of the learning objectives, questions and answers of the Medscape-accredited continuing medical education activity associated with this article

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. A Créange is Professor of Neurology, J-P Lefaucheur is Professor of Physiology, A Rahmouni is Professor of Radiology and A Santin is an Internist at Henri-Mondor Hospital, AP–HP, Université Paris XII, Créteil.,

    Alain Créange, Alain Rahmouni, Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur & Aline Santin

  2. A Chater is an Internist at Fontainebleau Hospital, Fontainebleau, J-C Brouet is Professor of Hematology at Saint-Louis Hospital, AP-HP, Paris,

    Ahmed Chater & Jean-Claude Brouet

  3. A Jaccard is an Internist (Service d'Hématologie) at Limoges University Hospital, Limoges, France.,

    Arnaud Jaccard

Authors
  1. Alain Créange
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  2. Ahmed Chater
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  3. Jean-Claude Brouet
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  4. Arnaud Jaccard
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  5. Alain Rahmouni
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  6. Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur
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  7. Aline Santin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alain Créange.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Table 1

Electrophysiological changes consistent with a severe demyelinating polyneuropathy in the present patient (DOC 106 kb)

Supplementary Table 2

Biological parameters in the present patient (DOC 59 kb)

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Créange, A., Chater, A., Brouet, JC. et al. A case of POEMS syndrome treated by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Nat Rev Neurol 4, 686–691 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0942

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