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Case Reports
. 2021 Feb;49(2):300060520986706.
doi: 10.1177/0300060520986706.

Missed diagnosis of POEMS syndrome with onset of progressive fatigue and numbness: a case report

Huan Shi  1 , Xiaohong Jiang  1 , Long Wang  1 , Jiayan Zhou  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Missed diagnosis of POEMS syndrome with onset of progressive fatigue and numbness: a case report

Huan Shi et al. J Int Med Res. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

POEMS syndrome is a rare multisystem disease associated with an underlying plasma cell disorder. Its name is an acronym for peripheral neuropathy (P), endocrinopathy (E), organomegaly (O), monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder (M), and skin changes (S). This case report describes a patient with POEMS syndrome who presented with progressive fatigue and numbness in the lower extremities. Initially, the patient was erroneously diagnosed with diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy because of the endocrinopathy associated with POEMS syndrome. After a second hospitalization, the patient was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome and recovered with alkylator therapy and a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. The patient's overall condition was improved at the 1-year follow-up. POEMS syndrome should be considered if a patient presents with endocrinopathy and unexplained peripheral neuropathy.

Keywords: POEMS syndrome; case report; endocrine system disease; misdiagnosis; plasma cell disorder; polyneuropathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Enlarged hands and coarsened skin.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Positron emission tomography–computed tomography scan. The scan showed hypermetabolic foci in the vertebral bodies and ribs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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