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Waldenström's macroglobulinemia in young African‐American adults
Author(s) -
Ahmed Shabbir,
Shurafa Muhammad S.,
Bishop Carter R.,
Varterasian Mary
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199903)60:3<229::aid-ajh11>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - macroglobulinemia , waldenstrom macroglobulinemia , medicine , pediatrics , immunology , multiple myeloma , lymphoma
We have identified five African‐American patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) diagnosed at a young age (ages 35, 38, 38, 40, 51; 4 males, 1 female). All had a history of intravenous heroin abuse and four also used cocaine. Their manner of presentation and clinical course were typical. Three of three patients tested for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were positive and three of three patients tested were HIV negative. The potential relationship between intravenous drug abuse and/or HCV to development of WM in this group of young patients is provocative, especially since a polyclonal increase in serum IgM is commonly seen in chronic intravenous heroin addicts. More recently, the contribution of HCV is being evaluated in lymphoproliferative disorders. Although WM is typically a disease of older people, it should also be considered in the differential in a young patient with a suggestive clinical picture. Am. J. Hematol. 60:229–230, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.