smoldering Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

Q: Smoldering Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is considered to be the severe form of Waldenström macroglobulinemia?

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Macroglobulinemia is the production of excess IgM monoclonal protein that occurs in certain clonal lymphoproliferative disorders and plasma cell dyscrasias. This is an umbrella term for various pathologies such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance of the IgM type (IgM MGUS), smoldering Waldenström macroglobulinemia, Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), and a number of related disorders in which an IgM monoclonal protein is detected, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a number of lymphoma variants, and primary (AL) amyloidosis.

Patients who meet the criteria for WM but do not have any clinical symptoms and lack evidence of anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, or hyperviscosity are considered to have smoldering WM. These patients do not require therapy but  monitoring. 

#hematology

References:

1. Fonseca R, Hayman S. Waldenström macroglobulinaemia. Br J Haematol 2007; 138:700.

2. Kyle RA, Benson JT, Larson DR, et al. Progression in smoldering Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: long-term results. Blood 2012; 119:4462.