A case of POEMS syndrome treated by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: A 55-year-old woman with no remarkable medical history presented to a neurology ward with a 17-week history of rapidly progressive gait difficulties that confined her to a wheelchair. INVESTIGATIONS: Electroneuromyography, immunoelectrophoresis, bone radiography, lesion-targeted bone-marrow examination, blood tests. DIAGNOSIS: Neuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome. MANAGEMENT: High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.