Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Castleman's disease causes
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Causes
Causes
- About 50% of Multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD) is caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a gammaherpesvirus that is also the cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma, while the remainder of MCD are of unknown cause.
- The form of MCD most closely associated with KSHV is the plasmacytic form of Castleman’s disease while another pathologic form, the hyaline-vascular form, is generally negative for this virus.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2]