POEMS syndrome manifested as systemic capillary leak syndrome a case report

Abstract

The authors report a case of an old woman who presented with a history of repetitive dyspnea and inferior limbs edema episodes, up to the point she showed extreme anasarca, hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, hemoconcentration and cachexia, developing unexplained respiratory insufficiency until death, in spite of all interventions. A diagnosis was obtained by autopsia: multicentric Castleman’s disease manifested as capillary leak syndrome and possible POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes), all conditions of rare incidence and of an intriguing association.