- Symptoms of cryoglobulinemia may include difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, skin ulceration or skin death. Other medical conditions may be related to cryoglobulinemia such as hepatitis C, rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, multiple myeloma and systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Complications from cryoglobulinemia include infections of ulcers, heart failure, kidney failure, liver failure, skin death and death. Those with hepatitis C are most vulnerable to cryoglobulinemia so testing should be done especially if you exhibit symptoms of the disorder.
- Your doctor will perform a physical exam to check for liver or spleen swelling. Blood tests will show a complete blood count and the presence of cryoglobulinemia. Liver function tests may be high and a urinalysis will show blood in the urine if the kidneys have been affected from cryoglobulinemia. Other tests could include a chest x-ray, angiogram, hepatitis C test, and a nerve conduction test if there is weakness in the arms or legs.
- Mild cases of cryoglobulinemia can sometimes be treated by avoiding cold temperatures and with anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Severe cases of cryoglobulinemia, which involve major organs or large areas of skin, can be treated with corticosteroids or other medications to suppress the immune system. Treatment may also be performed with a procedure called plasmapheresis, which involves blood plasma being removed from circulation and replaced with protein, fluid or donated plasma. Patients with hepatitis C and cryoglobulimenia can benefit from regular hepatitis C treatments. Normally cryoglobulimenia is not deadly but if the kidneys have become affected the outlook is not good.
- There is no known way to prevent cryoglobulimenia but avoiding cold temperatures can alleviate symptoms. Prevention of hepatitis C can help avoid the blood disorder as many cases are associated with the hepatitis C virus.
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