Paraproteinemic Neuropathies With Dr. Benjamin Becker
23 min
Paraproteinemic neuropathies can present with a wide range of clinical phenotypes and may signal an underlying hematologic disorder. In this episode, Dr. Benjamin Becker discusses a practical phenotype-based approach to evaluating neuropathy in patients with paraproteins, highlighting key diagnostic clues, laboratory testing, and important disorders such as anti-MAG neuropathy, POEMS syndrome, and amyloid neuropathy. Learn how to distinguish incidental monoclonal gammopathies from clinically meaningful causes of neuropathy and when additional evaluation is warranted. In this episode, Gordon Smith, MD, FAAN, speaks with Benjamin E. Becker, MD, author of the article "Paraproteinemic Neuropathies" in the Continuum® October 2026 Peripheral Nerve and Motor Neuron Disorders issue. Dr. Smith is a Continuum® Audio interviewer and a professor and chair of neurology at Kenneth and Dianne Wright Distinguished Chair in Clinical and Translational Research at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Becker is an assistant professor in the Neuromuscular Division of the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Additional Resources Read the article: Paraproteinemic Neuropathies Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @GordonSmithMD Full episode transcript available here Dr. Smith: What set of disorders can cause ophthalmoplegia, rapidly progressive ataxia, autonomic failure, distal weakness, asymmetric severe pain? Turns out paraproteinemic neuropathies can cause all of these phenotypes and more. And if, like me, you see patients with peripheral neuropathy frequently, or if you see patients with any of...