POEMS syndrome treated with lenalidomide plus high-dose dexamethasone as a pre-transplant induction therapy

Abstract

A 60-year-old male with POEMS syndrome received lenalidomide and high-dose dexamethasone combination therapy as an initial treatment, with no severe adverse events occurring during the treatment. Two cycles of the therapy led to significantly decreased serum VEGF level, and IgA-λ type M-protein was not detected by immunofixation electrophoresis. We next performed autologous stem cell transplantation, without severe complications such as engraftment syndrome. He improved enough to walk independently and now is being followed up without treatment. This case suggests that lenalidomide-dexamethasone therapy is highly effective and can be a good option for pre-transplant treatment for POEMS syndrome.