POEMS syndrome complicated with multiple ischemic vascular events: case report and review of literature

POEMS syndrome (acronym consisting of: polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) is an uncommon disorder associated with an underlying plasma cell dyscrasia. There is no single specific test for POEMS, and due to its rarity and heterogeneity, patients are often mis- or underdiagnosed. Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, closely related to POEMS syndrome; ~11%–30% of POEMS patients are associated with concomitant CD. In contrast to frequently published reports on vascular events in POEMS syndrome affecting coronary arteries or lower limbs, cases of cerebrovascular events are rarely mentioned in literature. We hereby report a patient with POEMS syndrome accompanied by CD who presented recurrent strokes and splenic infarction.