Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

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In the United States, Waldenström macroglobulinemia is considered rare. The incidence each year is 3.4 per million in men and 1.7 per million in women. The risk of developing Waldenström macroglobulinemia depends on age. Only one in 10 million develop the disease before age 35. The risk increases to 36 per million among those over age 75. This disorder appears more commonly in Caucasians than African-Americans.

Unique to Waldenström macroglobulinemia is the ability of the abnormal lymphocytes in the bone marrow cavity to make an abnormal protein that circulates in the blood. This is called hyperviscosity syndrome. High levels of protein can actually thicken the blood plasma. Most people with thickened blood plasma (called viscosity) have no symptoms and require no treatment. In general, plasma viscosity has to be five times greater than normal to produce symptoms. The most common symptoms of high viscosity are nosebleeds, dizziness, gum bleeding and blurred vision.