Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma associated with bone marrow involvement and IgM monoclonal gammopathy
Symptoms of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
The following features are indicative of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia:
easy bruising
bleeding from the nose
bleeding from the gums
fatigue
weight loss
numbness in hands
numbness in feet
fever
headache
shortness of breath
changes in vision
confusion
weakness
stroke
It is possible that Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.
Get TabletWise Pro
Thousands of Classes to Help You Become a Better You.
Common Causes of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
The following are the most common causes of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia:
somatic mutation in MYD88
somatic mutation in CXCR4
Risk Factors for Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
The following factors may increase the likelihood of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia:
personal history of autoimmune diseases
presence of liver inflammation
human immunodeficiency virus infection
rickettsiosis
being male
being white
having a family history of lymphoma
older adults
Prevention of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Yes, it may be possible to prevent Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:
avoid injection drug use
avoid unprotected sex with many partners
Occurrence of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Number of Cases
The following are the number of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia cases seen each year worldwide:
Rare between 10K - 50K cases
Common Age Group
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia can occur at any age.
Common Gender
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia can occur in any gender.
Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia:
Blood test: To detect the IgM antibodies protein and to reveal low numbers of healthy RBCs
Bone marrow biopsy: To look for presence of cancer cells
Imaging test: To determine the spread of cancer to other areas of the body
Complications of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia if untreated
Yes, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is left untreated:
Bing-Neel syndrome
bilateral facial nerve palsy
Procedures for Treatment of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
The following procedures are used to treat Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia:
Plasmapheresis: To remove IgM proteins and replace with healthy blood plasma
Bone marrow transplant: To treat Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Time for Treatment of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
While time-period of treatment for each patient may vary, below is the typical time-period for Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia to resolve if treated properly under an expert supervision:
Disease cannot be treated but only maintained or effects reduced
Last updated date
This page was last updated on 2/27/2020.
This page provides information for Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.