Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Diagnosis

Your doctor will do a physical exam and may use the tests below to determine if you have Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. In tests that involve radiation, specialists carefully monitor doses to avoid the risk of radiation overexposure.

• Physical exam. Your doctor will perform a physical exam to determine any health changes you may have, such as enlarged lymph nodes.
• Laboratory tests. Laboratory tests can show changes in your blood cells, blood chemistry and your urine. Blood tests can also tell your doctor if you have the IgM protein.
• Bone marrow biopsy. A bone marrow biopsy will tell your doctor about changes in the lymphocyte cells in your bone marrow.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan combines a series of X-ray views to produce images of the bones and soft tissues inside your body so that your doctor can look for changes.

Learn more about biopsy and the CT scan.