Neurologic Manifestations of Hematological Disease

A wide sprectum of hematologic disorders affect the central and peripheral nervous system. These disorders include porphyria, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-hemolytic uremic syndromes, sickle cell disease, plasma cell dyscrasias, monoclonal gammopathy, primary systemic amyloidosis, primary systemic amyloidosis, Waldonstrom’s macroglobulinemia, myeloproliferative syndromes, cryoglobulinemia, and polycythemia vera. Some, like porphyria, cause both central and peripheral nervous system manifestations including sensory/motor peripheral neuropathy, dysautonomia, pain, seizures, and abdominal pain. Others such as sickle cell disease primarily affect the brain and cause both clinically apparent strokes associated with a vasculopathy of large intracranial blood vessels, as well as less obvious microstrokes that cause progressive cognitive decline if not treated.