Multicentric plasmocytic Castleman's disease with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes syndrome and coexistent human herpes virus-6 infection--a possible relationship.

Authors report a case of Castleman's disease (CD) with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin change (POEMS) syndrome. According to the present knowledge, these two rare conditions are often induced by Human Herpes Vírus- 8 (HHV-8) or by Human Immunodefeciency Virus, separately or in combination. In this case, however, HHV-6 viral DNA had been detected in the blood and lymph node samples by PCR. The authors conclude that the modulation of immune functions by HHV-6 might be responsible for the development of CD and POEMS syndrome in the referred case.