Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia
Definition
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is a rare, chronic cancer of the immune system that is characterized by hyperviscosity, or thickening, of the blood.
Description
Waldenström's (Waldenström, Waldenstroem's) macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoma, or cancer of the lymphatic system. It was first identified in 1944, by the Swedish physician Jan Gosta Waldenström, in patients who had a thickening of the serum, or liquid part, of the blood. Their blood serum contained a great deal of a very large molecule called a globulin. Thus, the disorder is called macroglobulinemia.
Lymphomas are cancers that originate in tissues of the lymphatic system. All lymphomas other than
[The entire page is 4132 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
