Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a hematological malignancy involving lymphocytes. It is a type of nonaggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is also classified as a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Panniculitis
Waardenburg syndrome
Wagner's disease
WAGR syndrome
Waldenstrom...
Wallerian degeneration
Warkany syndrome
Warts
Waterhouse-Friderichsen...
Watermelon stomach
Wegener's granulomatosis
Weissenbacher Zweymuller...
Werdnig-Hoffmann disease
Werner's syndrome
Whipple disease
Whooping cough
Willebrand disease
Willebrand disease, acquired
Williams syndrome
Wilms tumor-aniridia...
Wilms' tumor
Wilson's disease
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
Wolff-Parkinson-White...
Wolfram syndrome
Wolman disease
Wooly hair syndrome
Worster-Drought syndrome
Writer's cramp
X
Y
Z
Medicines

It is named after the Swedish physician Jan G. Waldenström (1906-1996), who identified the condition.

Incidence/Prevalence

WM is a rare disorder, with 1,400 cases occurring in the United States annually.

Symptoms

Symptoms of WM include weakness, fatigue, weight loss and chronic oozing of blood from the nose and gums. Peripheral neuropathy can occur in 10% of patients. Some of these symptoms are due to the effects of the IgM paraprotein, which may cause autoimmune phenomenon or cryoglobulinemia.

Unique to WM is the occurrence of the hyperviscosity syndrome. This is attributed to the IgM monoclonal protein increasing the viscosity of the blood. Symptoms of this are mainly neurologic and can include blurring or loss of vision, headache. Rarely this can lead to stroke or coma.

Diagnosis

A distinguishing feature of WM is the presence of an IgM monoclonal protein (or paraprotein) that is produced by the cancer cells.

Prognosis

Median survival is approximately 5 years from time of diagnosis. New treatments have made longer term survival a reality for many with this condition.

Treatment

Treatment includes the monoclonal antibody rituximab, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy like chlorambucil or cyclophosphamide. Corticosteroids are also used in combination.

Plasmapheresis can be used to treat the hyperviscosity syndrome.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Macroglobulinemia in shoe repairers
From American Family Physician, 7/1/89

Macroglobulinemia in Shoe Repairers

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is an uncommon low-grade lymphoproliferative malignancy that affects the elderly. It is characterized by infiltration of the bone marrow by plasmacytoid lymphocytes and high serum concentrations of IgM paraprotein. The disease causes hyperviscosity and coagulation defects, but responds well to cytotoxic therapy.

Williamson and colleagues suggest an occupational factor in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, based on the observation of three cases in retired shoe repairers in England. Each of the three patients had worked for more than 40 years in the shoe repair business, which had exposed them to leather dust, rubber adhesives, shoe dyes and paint fumes. All of the men fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. In each patient, coagulation abnormalities resolved following treatment with cyclophosphamide.

The expected incidence of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia in England is one case per 200,000 population per year. The three cases occurred in a population of 300,000, which is estimated to include approximately 20 retired shoe repairers.

Cancers of the bladder, rectum and paranasal sinuses are reported to be more common in workers involved in the manufacture of shoes and leather goods than in the general population. In addition, an increased incidence of perinatal loss has been reported in women in these industries. Solvents and glues used in the manufacture of these products have been implicated, but the identification of a cause-and-effect relationship is complicated by changes in the chemicals used in manufacturing over time.

The authors' observations suggest an association between Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and some type of occupational exposure in shoe repairers. A careful occupational history in new cases is recommended. (British Medical Journal, February 25, 1989, vol. 298, p. 498.)

COPYRIGHT 1989 American Academy of Family Physicians
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Return to Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay