POEMS syndrome and multiple angioproliferative lesions mimicking generalized histiocytomas

POEMS syndrome: Update on diagnosis, risk-stratification, and management

DISEASE OVERVIEW

POEMS syndrome is a life-threatening condition due to an underlying plasma cell neoplasm. The major criteria for the syndrome are polyradiculoneuropathy, clonal plasma cell disorder, sclerotic bone lesions, elevated vascular endothelial growth factor, and the presence of Castleman disease. Minor features include organomegaly, endocrinopathy, characteristic skin changes, papilledema, extravascular volume overload, and thrombocytosis.

DIAGNOSIS

The diagnosis of POEMS syndrome is made with three of the major criteria, two of which must include polyradiculoneuropathy and clonal plasma cell disorder, and at least one of the minor criteria.

RISK STRATIFICATION

Because the pathogenesis of the syndrome is not well understood, risk stratification is limited to clinical phenotype rather than specific molecular markers. Risk factors include low serum albumin, age, pleural effusion, pulmonary hypertension, and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate.

RISK-ADAPTED THERAPY

For those patients with a dominant plasmacytoma, first-line therapy is irradiation. Patients with diffuse sclerotic lesions or disseminated bone marrow involvement should receive systemic therapy. Corticosteroids are temporizing, but alkylators and lenalidomide are the mainstays of treatment, the former either in the form of low-dose conventional therapy or as high-dose conditioning for stem cell transplantation. Thalidomide and bortezomib also have activity, but their benefit needs to be weighed against their risk of exacerbating the peripheral neuropathy. Daratumumab combinations also appear promising based on case series. Prompt recognition and institution of both supportive care measures and therapy directed against the plasma cell result in the best outcomes.

Glomeruloid hemangioma in normal individuals

Glomeruloid hemangioma is a rare, histologically distinctive, cutaneous, benign vascular tumor, originally described by Chan et al. Glomeruloid hemangioma appears specific to polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes syndrome (POEMS), and is usually, but not always, related to Castleman's disease. We herein report two cases with glomeruloid hemangioma, without any features of the POEMS syndrome. Glomeruloid hemangioma requires a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. It could rarely present as a solitary finding, without any evidence of an underlying POEMS syndrome.