Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus-associated Castleman's disease with POEMS syndrome

The pathogenic link between POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes, and various other clinical signs) syndrome and Castleman's disease is unclear. Roles for M protein in POEMS syndrome and cytokines in systemic manifestations of multicentric Castleman's disease have been suggested. Recently, pathogenic roles of cytokines in POEMS syndrome and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in Castleman's disease have been reported. We report on a patient with KSHV-associated Castleman's disease with POEMS syndrome, and suggest a possible role of KSHV in initiating and linking these two diseases.