Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is characterized by overproduction of immunoglobulin M (IgM), which can lead to development of a hyperviscosity syndrome. Plasmapheresis has been used to reduce plasma viscosity and IgM levels. However, plasmapheresis not only removes pathogenic substances but also the normal components in plasma. Post-centrifugal plasma filtration (PCPF) using a filter with an appropriate pore size has been shown to be effective for selective removal of macromolecules in plasma without requiring a replacement fluid. Here, we report on a patient with hyperviscosity syndrome due to Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, which was ameliorated by a single treatment of PCPF using an Evaflux 5A filter. After centrifugation, the separated plasma of the patient was subjected to membrane filtration for removal of IgM in the plasma. After PCPF, a 56.5% reduction in the IgM level (from 9,370 mg/dL to 4,080 mg/dL) was achieved, whereas the level of albumin showed a slight decrease, from 2.7 g/dL to 2.4 g/dL (11.1% reduction). The patient's symptoms were relieved and she was discharged on the seventh hospital day.
Centrifugation ; Filtration ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Membranes ; Plasma ; Plasmapheresis ; Viscosity ; Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia