Abstract
BackgroundMastocytosis is a rare disease characterised by the accumulation and/or proliferation of abnormal mast cells (MCs) in one or several organs. It may present with a number of different symptoms that involve various organ systems. The current study aims to assess the prevalence of MC mediator-related symptoms in a cohort of mastocytosis patients with a specific focus on neurological, psychiatric, cognitive and sexual symptoms. We also assessed the impact of the disease on patients’ professional lives. Patients were administered a validated multidimensional questionnaire to collect information on patients’ perception of the severity of their symptoms. From the questionnaires we extracted the neurological, cognitive, psychiatric and sexual symptoms and the impact of the disease on patients’ professional lives as well as their grading. The affective status was assessed using the 17-item version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.ResultsWe included 139 patients. Mastocytosis was classified as systemic in 113 patients and cutaneous in 26 patients. The prevalence of MC mediator-related systemic symptoms was as follows: cutaneous (71%), gastro-intestinal (48%), cardio-vascular (36%), musculoskeletal (26.6%), fatigue (24%), urinary (14.4%) and respiratory (10%). Headaches and vertigo were noted in respectively 55% and 32% of patients. Irritability, episodes of memory loss and difficulty concentrating were reported in 54%, 52% and 40% of cases, respectively. Sexual impairment was noted in 24% of patients. No associations were found between neuropsychiatric/cognitive impairment and age, gender, diagnostic delay, disease form, the presence of cutaneous lesions, the level of serum and bone marrow tryptase and the presence of KIT mutation in bone marrow and/or skin. Depression was noted in 49% of patients. One in four patients reported a negative impact of the disease on their professional lives.ConclusionThis current study provides some insights regarding symptoms related to mastocytosis and their impact on patients’ professional lives.
Highlights
Mastocytosis defines a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by the accumulation and/or proliferation of abnormal mast cells (MCs) in one or several organs [1]
Of the 220 patients diagnosed with mastocytosis and registered in our database, 139 had completed the AFIRMM questionnaire (78 female and 61 male)
Mastocytosis was classified as systemic mastocytosis (SM) in 113 patients (Indolent: 88, advanced: 25) and isolated cutaneous mastocytosis (ICM) in 26 patients
Summary
Mastocytosis defines a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by the accumulation and/or proliferation of abnormal mast cells (MCs) in one or several organs [1]. It is considered an orphan disease with a reported incidence of approximately 0.89 new cases per 100 000 inhabitants [2]. Mastocytosis is a rare disease characterised by the accumulation and/or proliferation of abnormal mast cells (MCs) in one or several organs It may present with a number of different symptoms that involve various organ systems. From the questionnaires we extracted the neurological, cognitive, psychiatric and sexual symptoms and the impact of the disease on patients’ professional lives as well as their grading. The affective status was assessed using the 17-item version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
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