POEMS Syndrome: Report of Three Cases with Review of the Literature

Polyneuropathy (P), organomegaly (O), endocrinopathy (E), monoclonal gammopathy (M), and skin changes (S) (POEMS) syndrome is a rare multisystemic disease that occurs in the setting of plasma cell dyscrasia. Several hundred cases have been reported in the world literature. The exact prevalence is not known, as the syndrome may be underreported. We report three such cases (2 males, 1 female) over a period of five years (January 2005 to December 2009). The clinicopathological, radiological, biochemical, and therapeutic outcome data of all three cases are presented with a review of the literature. Awareness of this entity and a multidisciplinary approach are essential to make a diagnosis in these patients.