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Background: Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare plasma cell (PC) neoplasm with associated paraneoplastic syndrome. According to the current diagnostic criteria, peripheral polyneuropathy and monoclonal PC proliferative disorder represent two mandatory criteria. Case presentation: We report a 54-year-old male with peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower limbs, sclerotic bone lesions, elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, splenomegaly, extravascular volume overload, endocrinopathy, and skin hemangiomas. Of note, serum and urine protein electrophoresis (PEP) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) of this patient indicated undetectable M-protein and the normal ratio of free light chains κ and λ (FLC-R (κ/λ)). No monoclonal PCs were found in bone marrow examinations or biopsy of diseased bones. However, his clinical manifestations matched most of the diagnostic criteria. After excluding other diseases that are easily confused with POEMS syndrome, the diagnosis of variant POEMS syndrome with undetectable M-protein was proposed. The patient obtained clinically significant improvement and elevated VEGF returned to normal after 6 months of treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone. Conclusions: Monoclonal PC dyscrasia (M-protein) while being a mandatory criterion for POEMS syndrome is undetectable in a considerable amount of patients that otherwise demonstrate typical symptoms. Here, we reported a case of variant POEMS syndrome with featured clinical manifestations, elevated VEGF levels, and good response to therapies targeting PCs but no evidence of M-protein. Therefore, negative results in M-protein and monoclonal PCs aren't enough to reject the diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. It is imperative to recognize the variant form of POEMS syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Yersinia pestis is the pathogen of the plague and caused three pandemics worldwide. Pneumonic plague is rarer than bubonic and septicemic plague. We report detailed clinical and pathogenic data for all the three sporadic cases of pneumonic plagues in China in 2014.Case Presentation: All the three patients are herders in Gansu province of China. They were all infected by Yersinia pestis and displayed in the form of pneumonic plague respectively without related. We tested patient specimens from the upper (nasopharyngeal swabs) or the lower (sputum) respiratory tract and whole blood, plasma, and serum specimens for Yersinia pestis. All patients had fever, cough and dyspnea, and for patient 2 and 3, unconscious. Respiratory symptoms were predominant with acute respiratory failure. The chest X-ray showed signs consistent with necrotizing inflammation with multiple lobar involvements. Despite emergency treatment, all patients died of refractory multiple organ failure within 24 h after admission to hospital. All the contacts were quarantined immediately and there were no secondary cases.Conclusions: Nowadays, the plague is epidemic in animals and can infect people who contact with the infected animals which may cause an epidemic in human. We think dogs maybe an intermediate vector for plague and as a source of risk for humans who are exposed to pet animals or who work professionally with canines. If a patient has been exposed to a risk factor and has fever and dyspnea, plague should be considered. People who had contact with a confirmed case should be isolated and investigated for F1 antigen analysis and receive post-exposure preventive treatment. A vaccination strategy might be useful for individuals who are occupationally exposed in areas where endemically infected reservoirs of plague-infected small mammals co-exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]