Waldenström Macroglobulinemia: What a Hematologist Needs to Know

Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM) is a distinct hematologic malignancy characterized by a lymphoplasmacytic bone marrow infiltration and the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)M monoclonal protein. Patients typically present at an advanced age, and a substantial proportion are asymptomatic at diagnosis. A unifying diagnosis of WM may be missed by an unsuspecting hematologist, as symptomatic patients present with a multitude of non-specific manifestations. Although constitutional and neuropathy-related symptoms predominate, concomitant IgM-induced hyperviscosity-associated features can provide useful diagnostic clues.

Source: Blood Reviews - March 24, 2015 Category: Hematology Authors: Prashant Kapoor, Jonas Paludo, Nishanth Vallumsetla, Philip R. Greipp Source Type: research