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POEMS syndrome historical perspective

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sabawoon Mirwais, M.B.B.S, M.D.[2]

Overview

In 1938, Ilya Mark Scheinker, a Russian neurologist and neuropathologist described a patient with a solitary plasmacytoma, sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and localized patches of thickened and deeply pigmented skin. In 1956, R. S. Crow published two case reports of myelomatosis with peripheral neuritis and other striking features. In 1977, Iwashita et al described a patient who had an osteosclerotic myeloma accompanied by sensorimotor polyneuropathy, skin hyperipigmentation, edema, hypertrichosis, gynecomastia, and white nails. In 1980, Bardwick et al proposed the acronym ‘POEMS’ to represent a syndrome characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes.

Historical Perspective

Discovery

Synonyms of POEMS syndrome

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Dispenzieri, A. (2002). “POEMS syndrome: definitions and long-term outcome”. Blood. 101 (7): 2496–2506. doi:10.1182/blood-2002-07-2299. ISSN 0006-4971.
  2. Scheinker I. Myelom und Nervensystem: über eine bisher nicht beschriebene mit eigentümlichen Hautveränderungen einhergehende Polyneuritis bei einem plasmazellulären myelom des Sternums. Dtsch Z Nervenheilkd 1938; 147: 247
  3. CROW RS (October 1956). “Peripheral neuritis in myelomatosis”. Br Med J. 2 (4996): 802–4. PMC 2035359. PMID 13364332.
  4. Iwashita H, Ohnishi A, Asada M, Kanazawa Y, Kuroiwa Y (July 1977). “Polyneuropathy, skin hyperpigmentation, edema, and hypertrichosis in localized osteosclerotic myeloma”. Neurology. 27 (7): 675–81. PMID 559975.
  5. Bardwick PA, Zvaifler NJ, Gill GN, Newman D, Greenway GD, Resnick DL (July 1980). “Plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes: the POEMS syndrome. Report on two cases and a review of the literature”. Medicine (Baltimore). 59 (4): 311–22. PMID 6248720.
  6. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/
  7. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/
  8. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/
  9. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/
  10. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/
  11. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/poems-syndrome/

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