Castleman disease (iMCD).
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Table of contents
Overview
Castleman disease is a rare disease that affects the lymphatic system. The most common form of this disease is called unicentric Castleman disease, which affects one lymph node or region of lymph nodes. Multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) is a form of Castleman disease that has spread to multiple regions of lymph nodes rather than being isolated to one location or node, making the disease more aggressive in nature.
There are two main types of MCD. One type is known as HHV-8-associated or HIV-associated MCD, which is caused by human herpesvirus (the same family that causes cold sores) or human immunodeficiency virus1, respectively. The other type is known as idiopathic MCD (iMCD). 'Idiopathic' means that the cause of your MCD is not known1. Each year, only 3 to 4 in every million people in the general population are diagnosed with iMCD. Anyone can suffer from it - men, women, adults and children, although most people with iMCD are over the age of 45.
Diagnosis
It is important to diagnose iMCD as soon as possible to get the most out of possible treatments. Once iMCD is diagnosed, your doctor can assess your condition and determine the most appropriate treatment plan for you.
Symptoms
Before you were diagnosed, you may have been experiencing various symptoms that could be mistaken for various other diseases. iMCD varies from person to person and can have a mild to severe clinical presentation, with symptoms such as:
- Weakness and fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Night sweats
- Fever
- Skin problems such as rashes
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Renal dysfunction
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Anemia
