Ruth-Anne Langan Pai, PHD Candidate and the collaborative research project lead for the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) provides an overview of Castleman disease.
Castleman disease is a group of rare disorders characterized by lymph node enlargement, specific microscopic changes to the lymph nodes, and a range of symptoms and laboratory findings.
There are 3 types of Castleman disease: (1) unicentric Castleman disease, (2) HHV-8 positive multicentric Castleman disease, and (3) idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease.
Symptoms vary with each person but may include the following:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Unintended weight loss
- Weakness and fatigue
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Cherry hemangiomas skin rash
- Edema, ascites and/or other symptoms of fluid overload
- Kidney dysfunction
To learn more about this and other rare hematologic conditions, visit checkrare.com/diseases/blood-diseases/
To learn more about CDCN, visit cdcn.org/
