Successful use of cryocrit for monitoring response to therapeutic plasma exchange in type 1 cryoglobulinemia.

Abstract

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a clinical syndrome that is defined as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with bone marrow involvement and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of any level. In some instances WM can result in a type I cryoglobulinemia with very high cryocrits, which is unusual in type II and III cryoglobulinemia. We describe a case of an 80 year old male with WM, severe type I cryoglobulinemia, and an extremely elevated cryocrit (69%). Over the course of five weeks we performed nine therapeutic plasma exchanges (TPE), and after seven treatments his cryocrit had decreased to 6% with improvement in his symptoms. By monitoring his cryocrit throughout his TPE sessions, we were able to assess his response to treatment, determine the ideal length of treatment in addition to his symptomatic improvement. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:403-404, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

• Authors: Nicholas Olson, Swaroopa Yerrabothala, Nancy Dunbar
• Journal: Journal of clinical apheresis (J Clin Apher) Vol. 31 Issue 4 Pg. 403-4 (Aug 2016) ISSN: 1098-1101 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26194475 (Publication Type: Case Reports)
• Copyright: © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Cryoglobulins

Topics

• Aged, 80 and over
• Cryoglobulinemia (therapy)
• Cryoglobulins (analysis)
• Humans
• Male
• Monitoring, Physiologic
• Plasma Exchange (methods)
• Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia