[POEM syndrome]

This article summarizes the clinical, radiological and laboratory features of syndrome, which is known by the acronym "POEMS". POEMS syndrome is a rare multisystemic syndrome with plasma cell dyscrasia. POEMS is characterized by the combination of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes. Other signs are frequently observed in affected patients, such as peripheral edema, arteriopathy, nephropathy, thrombocytosis and osteosclerotic lesions. The plasma cell dyscrasia in POEMS syndrome differs from the dyscrasia found in multiple myeloma. It has been suggested that pleiotropic cytokines which act in synergy on immune, nervous, endocrine and vascular systems could play a pathogenic role in POEMS syndrome.