• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.79-92
• /
• 2017

Paraproteinemia is caused by a proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells or B lymphocytes. Approximately 10% of idiopathic neuropathies are associated with paraproteinemia, where a certain paraprotein acts like an antibody targeted at constituents of myelin or axolemma in peripheral nerves. The relationship between paraproteinemia and peripheral neuropathy remains unclear despite this being of interest for a long time. Neurologists frequently find paraproteinemia during laboratory examinations of patients presenting with peripheral neuropathy, especially in the elderly. The possibility of a relationship with paraproteinemia should be considered in cases without an explainable cause. We review the causal association between paraproteinemia and neuropathy as well as clinical, laboratory, and electrophysiologic features, and the treatment options for paraproteinemic neuropathy.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.45-52
• /
• 2015

The paraproteinemia is a disorder in which a single clone of plasma cells (monoclonal gammopathy) is responsible for the proliferation of monoclonal proteins (M-proteins). Approximately 10% of patients with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy have monoclonal gammopathy. Some M-proteins have the properties of an antibody to the components of peripheral nerve myelin, but the pathophysiological relationship between the neuropathy and the M-protein is often obscure. The relationship between peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy requires the appropriate neurological and hematological investigations for precise diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we provide an update on the causal associations between peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy as well as characteristics of clinical and electrophysiologic features.