Abstract
POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic condition due to an underlying plasma cell disorder that presents with a demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. The syndrome is most often associated with osteosclerotic bone lesions and high vascular endothelial growth factor. The other symptoms and signs would appear to be unrelated if one does not consider the diagnosis of this fascinating syndrome. Without adequate treatment, POEMS syndrome is progressive, disabling, and life-threatening. With treatment the prognosis is excellent when drugs from a myeloma armamentarium are employed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abe D, Nakaseko C, Takeuchi M et al (2008) Restrictive usage of monoclonal immunoglobulin lambda light chain germline in POEMS syndrome. Blood 112:836–839
Allam JS, Kennedy CC, Aksamit TR, Dispenzieri A (2008) Pulmonary manifestations in patients with POEMS syndrome: a retrospective review of 137 patients. Chest 133:969–974
Authier FJ, Belec L, Levy Y et al (1996) All-trans-retinoic acid in POEMS syndrome. Therapeutic effect associated with decreased circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Arthritis Rheum 39:1423–1426
Badros A, Porter N, Zimrin A (2005) Bevacizumab therapy for POEMS syndrome. Blood 106:1135
Bardwick PA, Zvaifler NJ, Gill GN, Newman D, Greenway GD, Resnick DL (1980) Plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes: the POEMS syndrome. Report on two cases and a review of the literature. Medicine 59:311–322
Barete S, Mouawad R, Choquet S et al (2010) Skin manifestations and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in POEMS syndrome: impact of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Arch Dermatol 146:615–623
Bryce AH, Ketterling RP, Gertz MA et al (2008) A novel report of cig-FISH and cytogenetics in POEMS syndrome. Am J Hematol 83:840–841
Cai QQ, Wang C, Cao XX, Cai H, Zhou DB, Li J (2015) Efficacy and safety of low-dose lenalidomide plus dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory POEMS syndrome. Eur J Haematol 95:325–330
Cook G, Iacobelli S, van Biezen A et al (2017) High-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with POEMS syndrome: a retrospective study of the Plasma Cell Disorder sub-committee of the Chronic Malignancy Working Party of the European Society for Blood & Marrow Transplantation. Haematologica 102:160–167
Cui R, Yu S, Huang X, Zhang J, Tian C, Pu C (2014) Papilloedema is an independent prognostic factor for POEMS syndrome. J Neurol 261:60–65
Dao LN, Hanson CA, Dispenzieri A, Morice WG, Kurtin PJ, Hoyer JD (2011) Bone marrow histopathology in POEMS syndrome: a distinctive combination of plasma cell, lymphoid, and myeloid findings in 87 patients. Blood 117:6438–6444
Dispenzieri A (2007) POEMS syndrome. Blood Rev 21:285–299
Dispenzieri A (2008) Castleman disease. Cancer Treat Res 142:293–330
Dispenzieri A (2012) How I treat POEMS syndrome. Blood 119:5650–5658
Dispenzieri A (2015) POEMS syndrome: update on diagnosis, risk-stratification, and management. Am J Hematol 90:951–962
Dispenzieri A, Kyle RA, Lacy MQ et al (2003) POEMS syndrome: definitions and long-term outcome. Blood 101:2496–2506
Dispenzieri A, Lacy MQ, Hayman SR et al (2008) Peripheral blood stem cell transplant for POEMS syndrome is associated with high rates of engraftment syndrome. Eur J Haematol 80:397–406
D'Souza A, Hayman SR, Buadi F et al (2011) The utility of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor levels in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with POEMS syndrome. Blood 118:4663–4665
D'Souza A, Lacy M, Gertz M et al (2012) Long-term outcomes after autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with POEMS syndrome (osteosclerotic myeloma): a single-center experience. Blood 120:56–62
Dupont SA, Dispenzieri A, Mauermann ML, Rabinstein AA, Brown RD Jr (2009) Cerebral infarction in POEMS syndrome: incidence, risk factors, and imaging characteristics. Neurology 73:1308–1312
Gandhi GY, Basu R, Dispenzieri A, Basu A, Montori VM, Brennan MD (2007) Endocrinopathy in POEMS syndrome: the Mayo Clinic experience. Mayo Clin Proc 82:836–842
He H, Fu W, Du J, Jiang H, Hou J (2017) Successful treatment of newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome with reduced-dose bortezomib based regimen. Br J Haematol. doi:10.1111/bjh.14497. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28146276
Hogan WJ, Lacy MQ, Wiseman GA, Fealey RD, Dispenzieri A, Gertz MA (2001) Successful treatment of POEMS syndrome with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 28:305–309
Humeniuk MS, Gertz MA, Lacy MQ et al (2013) Outcomes of patients with POEMS syndrome treated initially with radiation. Blood 122:68–73
Imai N, Taguchi J, Yagi N, Konishi T, Serizawa M, Kobari M (2009) Relapse of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome without increased level of vascular endothelial growth factor following successful autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Neuromuscul Disord 19:363–365
Jaccard A, Magy L (2016) Thalidomide and POEMS syndrome: a cautious step forward. Lancet Neurol 15:1104–1105
Kanai K, Kuwabara S, Misawa S, Hattori T (2007) Failure of treatment with anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for long-standing POEMS syndrome. Intern Med 46:311–313
Kanai K, Sawai S, Sogawa K et al (2012) Markedly upregulated serum interleukin-12 as a novel biomarker in POEMS syndrome. Neurology 79:575–582
Kang WY, Shen KN, Duan MH et al (2013) 14q32 translocations and 13q14 deletions are common cytogenetic abnormalities in POEMS syndrome. Eur J Haematol 91:490–496
Kapoor P, Ansell SM, Fonseca R et al (2017) Diagnosis and management of waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: mayo stratification of macroglobulinemia and risk-adapted therapy (mSMART) guidelines 2016. JAMA Oncol 3(9):1257–1265
Katayama K, Misawa S, Sato Y et al (2015) Japanese POEMS syndrome with Thalidomide (J-POST) Trial: study protocol for a phase II/III multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMJ Open 5:e007330
Kaushik M, Pulido JS, Abreu R, Amselem L, Dispenzieri A (2011) Ocular findings in patients with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes syndrome. Ophthalmology 118:778–782
Kaygusuz I, Tezcan H, Cetiner M, Kocakaya O, Uzay A, Bayik M (2010) Bortezomib: a new therapeutic option for POEMS syndrome. Eur J Haematol 84:175–177
Kelly JJ Jr, Kyle RA, Miles JM, Dyck PJ (1983) Osteosclerotic myeloma and peripheral neuropathy. Neurology 33:202–210
Koga H, Tokunaga Y, Hisamoto T et al (2002) Ratio of serum vascular endothelial growth factor to platelet count correlates with disease activity in a patient with POEMS syndrome. Eur J Intern Med 13:70–74
Koike H, Iijima M, Mori K et al (2008) Neuropathic pain correlates with myelinated fibre loss and cytokine profile in POEMS syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 79:1171–1179
Kojima H, Katsuoka Y, Katsura Y et al (2006) Successful treatment of a patient with POEMS syndrome by tandem high-dose chemotherapy with autologous CD34+ purged stem cell rescue. Int J Hematol 84:182–185
Kourelis TV, Dispenzieri A (2017) Validation of a prognostic score for patients with POEMS syndrome: a mayo clinic cohort. Leukemia 31:1251
Kourelis TV, Buadi FK, Kumar SK et al (2016a) Long-term outcome of patients with POEMS syndrome: an update of the Mayo Clinic experience. Am J Hematol 91:585–589
Kourelis TV, Buadi FK, Gertz MA et al (2016b) Risk factors for and outcomes of patients with POEMS syndrome who experience progression after first-line treatment. Leukemia 30:1079–1085
Kulkarni GB, Mahadevan A, Taly AB et al (2011) Clinicopathological profile of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome. J Clin Neurosci 18:356–360
Kuwabara S, Hattori T, Shimoe Y, Kamitsukasa I (1997) Long term melphalan-prednisolone chemotherapy for POEMS syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 63:385–387
Kuwabara S, Misawa S, Kanai K et al (2006) Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for POEMS syndrome. Neurology 66:105–107
Lesprit P, Authier FJ, Gherardi R et al (1996) Acute arterial obliteration: a new feature of the POEMS syndrome? Medicine 75:226–232
Lesprit P, Godeau B, Authier FJ et al (1998) Pulmonary hypertension in POEMS syndrome: a new feature mediated by cytokines. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 157:907–911
Li J, Zhou DB, Huang Z et al (2011a) Clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with POEMS syndrome in China. Ann Hematol 90:819–826
Li J, Zhang W, Jiao L et al (2011b) Combination of melphalan and dexamethasone for patients with newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome. Blood 117:6445–6449
Li J, Zhang W, Kang WY, Cao XX, Duan MH, Zhou DB (2012) Bortezomib and dexamethasone as first-line therapy for a patient with newly diagnosed polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes syndrome complicated by renal failure. Leuk Lymphoma 53:2527–2529
Li J, Tian Z, Zheng HY et al (2013) Pulmonary hypertension in POEMS syndrome. Haematologica 98:393–398
Ma L, Wang Y, Bo J et al (2016) Autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell immunotherapy combined with cyclophosphamide in five patients with POEMS syndrome. Clin Exp Immunol 184:83–89
Mauermann ML, Sorenson EJ, Dispenzieri A et al (2012) Uniform demyelination and more severe axonal loss distinguish POEMS syndrome from CIDP. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 83:480–486
Min JH, Hong YH, Lee KW (2005) Electrophysiological features of patients with POEMS syndrome. Clin Neurophysiol 116:965–968
Misawa S, Sato Y, Katayama K et al (2016) Safety and efficacy of thalidomide in patients with POEMS syndrome: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 15:1129–1137
Naddaf E, Dispenzieri A, Mandrekar J, Mauermann ML (2015) Thrombocytosis distinguishes POEMS syndrome from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Muscle Nerve 52:658–659
Nakanishi T, Sobue I, Toyokura Y et al (1984) The Crow-Fukase syndrome: a study of 102 cases in Japan. Neurology 34:712–720
Nakano A, Mitsui T, Endo I, Takeda Y, Ozaki S, Matsumoto T (2001) Solitary plasmacytoma with VEGF overproduction: report of a patient with polyneuropathy. Neurology 56:818–819
Nasu S, Misawa S, Sekiguchi Y et al (2012) Different neurological and physiological profiles in POEMS syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 83:476–479
Nishi J, Arimura K, Utsunomiya A et al (1999) Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in sera and lymph nodes of the plasma cell type of Castleman’s disease. Br J Haematol 104:482–485
Nobile-Orazio E, Terenghi F, Giannotta C, Gallia F, Nozza A (2009) Serum VEGF levels in POEMS syndrome and in immune-mediated neuropathies. Neurology 72:1024–1026
Ohguchi H, Ohba R, Onishi Y et al (2011) Successful treatment with bortezomib and thalidomide for POEMS syndrome. Ann Hematol 90:1113–1114
Peggs KS, Paneesha S, Kottaridis PD et al (2002) Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for POEMS syndrome. Bone Marrow Transplant 30:401–404
Roccaro AM, Hideshima T, Raje N et al (2006) Bortezomib mediates antiangiogenesis in multiple myeloma via direct and indirect effects on endothelial cells. Cancer Res 66:184–191
Samaras P, Bauer S, Stenner-Liewen F et al (2007) Treatment of POEMS syndrome with bevacizumab. Haematologica 92:1438–1439
Scarlato M, Previtali SC, Carpo M et al (2005) Polyneuropathy in POEMS syndrome: role of angiogenic factors in the pathogenesis. Brain 128:1911–1920
Schmitz N, Linch DC, Dreger P et al (1996) Randomised trial of filgrastim-mobilised peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation versus autologous bone-marrow transplantation in lymphoma patients. Lancet 347:353–357
Sekiguchi Y, Misawa S, Shibuya K et al (2013) Ambiguous effects of anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab) for POEMS syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 84:1346–1348
Shi X, Hu S, Luo X et al (2016) CT characteristics in 24 patients with POEMS syndrome. Acta Radiol 57:51–57
Singh D, Wadhwa J, Kumar L, Raina V, Agarwal A, Kochupillai V (2003) POEMS syndrome: experience with fourteen cases. Leuk Lymphoma 44:1749–1752
Soubrier MJ, Dubost JJ, Sauvezie BJ (1994) POEMS syndrome: a study of 25 cases and a review of the literature. French Study Group on POEMS syndrome. Am J Med 97:543–553
Soubrier M, Dubost JJ, Serre AF et al (1997) Growth factors in POEMS syndrome: evidence for a marked increase in circulating vascular endothelial growth factor. Arthritis Rheum 40:786–787
Soubrier M, Guillon R, Dubost JJ et al (1998) Arterial obliteration in POEMS syndrome: possible role of vascular endothelial growth factor. J Rheumatol 25:813–815
Soubrier M, Sauron C, Souweine B et al (1999) Growth factors and proinflammatory cytokines in the renal involvement of POEMS syndrome. Am J Kidney Dis 34:633–638
Soubrier M, Ruivard M, Dubost JJ, Sauvezie B, Philippe P (2002) Successful use of autologous bone marrow transplantation in treating a patient with POEMS syndrome. Bone Marrow Transplant 30:61–62
Suh YG, Kim YS, Suh CO et al (2014) The role of radiotherapy in the management of POEMS syndrome. Radiat Oncol 9:265
Takatsuki K, Sanada I (1983) Plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy and endocrine disorder: clinical and laboratory features of 109 reported cases. Jpn J Clin Oncol 13:543–555
Terracciano C, Fiore S, Doldo E et al (2010) Inverse correlation between VEGF and soluble VEGF receptor 2 in POEMS with AIDP responsive to intravenous immunoglobulin. Muscle Nerve 42:445–448
Wang C, Zhou YL, Cai H et al (2014) Markedly elevated serum total N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen is a novel marker for the diagnosis and follow up of patients with POEMS syndrome. Haematologica 99:e78–e80
Wang C, Huang XF, Cai QQ et al (2017) Prognostic study for overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome. Leukemia 31:100–106
Warsame R, Kohut IE, Dispenzieri A (2012) Successful use of cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone to treat a case of relapsed POEMS. Eur J Haematol 88:549–550
Warsame R, Yanamandra U, Kapoor P (2017) POEMS syndrome: an enigma. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 12(2):85–95
Watanabe O, Arimura K, Kitajima I, Osame M, Maruyama I (1996) Greatly raised vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in POEMS syndrome. Lancet 347:702
Zagouri F, Kastritis E, Gavriatopoulou M et al (2014) Lenalidomide in patients with POEMS syndrome: a systematic review and pooled analysis. Leuk Lymphoma 55:2018–2023
Zhang B, Song X, Liang B et al (2010) The clinical study of POEMS syndrome in China. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 31:229–237
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ziogas, D.C., Dispenzieri, A., Terpos, E. (2018). POEMS Syndrome. In: Dimopoulos, M., Facon, T., Terpos, E. (eds) Multiple Myeloma and Other Plasma Cell Neoplasms. Hematologic Malignancies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25586-6_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25586-6_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-25584-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-25586-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)