Successful treatment of POEMS syndrome complicated by severe congestive heart failure with thalidomide.

Abstract

A 55-year-old woman was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome; however, we could not perform high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) because of rapidly progressive congestive heart failure. Thus, we treated the patient with thalidomide plus dexamethasone, which brought about a marked improvement of systolic dysfunction, POEMS syndrome-related symptoms and the serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor. Subsequently, we safely performed high-dose chemotherapy with auto-PBCST. This report strongly suggests that thalidomide is effective for POEMS syndrome, even if complicated by congestive heart failure which is considered to be related to POEMS syndrome.

• Authors: Daichi Inoue, Aiko Kato, Sumie Tabata, Takeshi Kitai, Yoko Takiuchi, Takaharu Kimura, Sonoko Shimoji, Minako Mori, Yuya Nagai, Katsuhiro Togami, Akiko Matsushita, Kenichi Nagai, Hayato Maruoka, Yukihiro Imai, Minako Beppu, Michi Kawamoto, Takayuki Takahashi
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 49 Issue 5 Pg. 461-6 ( 2010) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 20190484 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Thalidomide
• Dexamethasone

Topics

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Dexamethasone (therapeutic use)
• Drug Therapy
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Heart Failure (drug therapy, etiology)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• POEMS Syndrome (complications, drug therapy)
• Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
• Thalidomide (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome