Motor neuron disease, lymphoproliferative disease, and bone marrow biopsy

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 19; no. 10; pp. 1334 - 1337
• Main Authors: Louis, Elan D., Hanley, Ann E., Brannagan, Thomas H., Sherman, William, Murphy, Peregrine, Lange, Dale J., Trojaborg, Werner, Younger, David S., Lovelace, Robert E., Latov, Norman, Rowland, Lewis P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.1996; Wiley
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Bone Marrow - pathology; bone marrow biopsy; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; lymphoma; lymphoproliferative disease; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - complications; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - diagnosis; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; motor neuron disease; Motor Neuron Disease - complications; Motor Neuron Disease - drug therapy; Motor Neuron Disease - pathology; multiple myeloma; Neurology; Human; Immunopathology; Nervous system diseases; Treatment efficiency; Motor neuron disease; Autoimmune disease; Malignant hemopathy; Myeloma; Lymphoma; Immunosuppression; Immunoglobulinopathy; Biopsy; Etiology; Immunotherapy; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Central nervous system disease; Bone marrow; Degenerative disease; Immunosuppressive agent; Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4598(199610)19:10<1334::AID-MUS11>3.0.CO;2-U

Some have suggested that nonfamilial motor neuron disease (MND) may be autoimmune, and the neurological disorder may benefit from immunotherapy. There have been reports of over 30 cases of lymphoproliferative disease (lymphoma, multiple myeloma, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia) with MND, and these patients might be offered immunosuppressive therapy. Bone marrow examination might increase the sensitivity of the diagnostic workup for lymphoma and other lymphoproliferative disorders. We examined the bone marrow in our first evaluation of 161 patients with MND seen at Columbia‐Presbyterian Medical Center during 1991‐1994. Four of 161 patients (2.5%) had lymphoproliferative disease in the marrow; only 1 of these had a monoclonal paraprotein. Routine bone marrow examination of patients with MND increases the diagnostic yield of lymphoproliferative diseases. The frequency of these bone marrow abnormalities in comparison with a group of age‐matched control subjects should be studied further. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.