Table 3.

Clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features of subtypes of MCD

MCD subtypes
POEMS-MCDHHV8-MCDiMCD
iMCD-TAFROiMCD-IPLiMCD-NOS
Laboratory assessment 
 CRP +/++ ++/+++ +++ ++ +/++ 
 CBC Mild to moderate anemia, thrombocytosis Moderate to severe anemia, thrombocytopenia Moderate to severe anemia, severe thrombocytopenia Mild to moderate anemia, severe thrombocytosis Mild to moderate anemia, normal/mild thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis 
 SPEP Monoclonal paraprotein (small M-spike) PHGG Normal or mild PHGG Severe PHGG PHGG 
 IgG4 Normal Normal Normal Frequent in a subset of patients (but serum IgG4:IgG typically lower than IgG4-RD) Normal 
 LFTs Mild elevations can be observed Mild elevations can be observed Elevated ALP without hyperbilirubinemia and transaminase elevation Mild elevations can be observed Mild elevations can be observed 
 Other unique laboratory features Endocrinopathy (variable: hypogonadism, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism) HHV8 infection, often in the setting of HIV infection Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) 
Clinical presentation 
 Constitutional signs* +/++ ++/+++ +++ ++ ++ 
 Primary LN pattern;
 % with LAD 
Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% 
 Other key symptoms/ organ involvement Often associated with
osteosclerotic myeloma; defining features: polyneuropathy (required), organomegaly (hepatosplenomegaly), endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy (required), and skin changes; anasarca 
Multiple (pulmonary symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly); anasarca Multiple (hepatosplenomegaly, renal dysfunction, bone marrow reticulin fibrosis); anasarca; adrenal hemorrhages; eruptive cherry hemangiomas Multiple (pulmonary symptoms, renal dysfunction) Multiple (pulmonary, renal); additional autoimmune phenomena (autoimmune hemolytic anemia, paraneoplastic pemphigus, immune thrombocytopenia, etc) 
 Exposure history risk N/A Increased HIV exposure history N/A N/A N/A 
 Key disease mimics Multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, lymphoma HLH, primary effusion lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma HLH, sepsis, SLE IgG4-RD ALPS, Rosai-Dorfman 
Histopathological features 
 Lymph node histopathology Plasmacytic with increased monoclonal plasma cells HHV8 positive plasmablastic proliferation Hypervascular or mixed subtype with germinal center regression, vascularity, and FDC prominence Plasmacytic or mixed subtype with germinal center hyperplasia, vascularity, and increased plasma cells; frequently meets criteria for IgG4-RD lymphadenopathy 3 potential histopathological subtypes (hypervascular, mixed, plasmacytic
 Bone marrow biopsy Clonal plasma cells, megakaryocyte hyperplasia and atypia HHV8 latent nuclear antigen (LNA) positive plasmablasts Megakaryocyte hyperplasia, reticulin fibrosis Hypercellularity, megakaryocytic atypia, and plasmacytosis (nonspecific) Hypercellularity, megakaryocytic atypia, and plasmacytosis (nonspecific) 
MCD subtypes
POEMS-MCDHHV8-MCDiMCD
iMCD-TAFROiMCD-IPLiMCD-NOS
Laboratory assessment 
 CRP +/++ ++/+++ +++ ++ +/++ 
 CBC Mild to moderate anemia, thrombocytosis Moderate to severe anemia, thrombocytopenia Moderate to severe anemia, severe thrombocytopenia Mild to moderate anemia, severe thrombocytosis Mild to moderate anemia, normal/mild thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis 
 SPEP Monoclonal paraprotein (small M-spike) PHGG Normal or mild PHGG Severe PHGG PHGG 
 IgG4 Normal Normal Normal Frequent in a subset of patients (but serum IgG4:IgG typically lower than IgG4-RD) Normal 
 LFTs Mild elevations can be observed Mild elevations can be observed Elevated ALP without hyperbilirubinemia and transaminase elevation Mild elevations can be observed Mild elevations can be observed 
 Other unique laboratory features Endocrinopathy (variable: hypogonadism, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism) HHV8 infection, often in the setting of HIV infection Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) Renal insufficiency; elevated IL-6, VEGF (variable) 
Clinical presentation 
 Constitutional signs* +/++ ++/+++ +++ ++ ++ 
 Primary LN pattern;
 % with LAD 
Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% Generalized; 100% 
 Other key symptoms/ organ involvement Often associated with
osteosclerotic myeloma; defining features: polyneuropathy (required), organomegaly (hepatosplenomegaly), endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy (required), and skin changes; anasarca 
Multiple (pulmonary symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly); anasarca Multiple (hepatosplenomegaly, renal dysfunction, bone marrow reticulin fibrosis); anasarca; adrenal hemorrhages; eruptive cherry hemangiomas Multiple (pulmonary symptoms, renal dysfunction) Multiple (pulmonary, renal); additional autoimmune phenomena (autoimmune hemolytic anemia, paraneoplastic pemphigus, immune thrombocytopenia, etc) 
 Exposure history risk N/A Increased HIV exposure history N/A N/A N/A 
 Key disease mimics Multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, lymphoma HLH, primary effusion lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma HLH, sepsis, SLE IgG4-RD ALPS, Rosai-Dorfman 
Histopathological features 
 Lymph node histopathology Plasmacytic with increased monoclonal plasma cells HHV8 positive plasmablastic proliferation Hypervascular or mixed subtype with germinal center regression, vascularity, and FDC prominence Plasmacytic or mixed subtype with germinal center hyperplasia, vascularity, and increased plasma cells; frequently meets criteria for IgG4-RD lymphadenopathy 3 potential histopathological subtypes (hypervascular, mixed, plasmacytic
 Bone marrow biopsy Clonal plasma cells, megakaryocyte hyperplasia and atypia HHV8 latent nuclear antigen (LNA) positive plasmablasts Megakaryocyte hyperplasia, reticulin fibrosis Hypercellularity, megakaryocytic atypia, and plasmacytosis (nonspecific) Hypercellularity, megakaryocytic atypia, and plasmacytosis (nonspecific) 

Anemia: mild (10-12 g/dL); moderate (8-10 g/dL); severe (<8 g/dL). Ranges provided for each disease are estimated but do not preclude patient subsets outside this range.

*

Fever, sweats, weight loss, malaise.

ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALPS, autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome; HLH, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; LAD, lymphadenopathy; LNA, latent nuclear antigen; N/A, not applicable; PHGG, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia.

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