Castleman Disease–Associated Neuropathy

Castleman disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia and capillary proliferation, which can be associated with neuropathy. Castleman disease with neuropathy can sometimes occur as part of a polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome. The neuropathy in Castleman disease is mainly motor and severely disabling. Sural nerve biopsy usually shows demyelination and axonal loss (J Neurol Sci 1989; 89:253).

To define the peripheral neuropathy phenotypes associated with Castleman disease, researchers reviewed charts of patients with biopsy-proven Castleman disease. Patients who also had an identified neuropathy were divided in two groups: 7 with…