Clinicopathologic spectrum of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: a single center experience

Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B cell neoplasm characterized by infiltration of the bone marrow by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and an IgM monoclonal gammopathy. We report a 15-year review of patients diagnosed with WM at our center. A total of 18 patients were diagnosed and treated at our center during the study period. Neurological symptoms were seen in almost 95% while B symptoms were present in almost 80% of patients. More than two-thirds of patients were anemic at the time of presentation and more than 90% showed bone marrow infiltration with lymphoplasmacytoid cells. Anemia, B symptoms, splenomegaly and neurological symptoms were the primary reasons in the majority of patients to initiate treatment. Chlorambucil was the primary treatment in more than half the patients followed by CVP. The median overall survival in all patients was 29 months (range 22-81 months). WM is a rare disorder and novel therapeutic modalities need to be identified to improve survival in these patients.