TYPE-1 CRYOGLOBULINEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH A THYMIC TUMOR - SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT WITH PLASMA-EXCHANGE

Thymic tumours are associated with a wide range of autoimmune and haem atological disorders, notably myasthenia gravis, red cell aplasia, and systemic lupus erythematosus. An association with cryoglobulinaemia h as only once been reported previously. In this report we describe a 60 -yr-old male patient with a spindle cell thymoma, treated surgically, who also had type 1 cryoglobulinaemia, with severe peripheral circulat ory impairment with digital ulceration and a mononeutitis multiplex. T he patient has been successfully treated with prednisolone, immunosupp ression and plasma exchange.