[Undetected cryoglobulinaemia may alter the serum protein results and mask dysglobulinaemia (author's transl)].

By reporting a case of massive cryoglobulinaemia where precipitation of the cryoglobulins occurred at 35 degrees C but with no apparent clinical symptoms the authors want to draw attention to the fact that if cryoglobulinaemia remains undetected it may alter the serum protein results and mask dysglobulinaemia. However if protein electrophoresis is carried out at the same time, it is possible to detect a slight abnormality due to cryoglobulin fraction not entirely removed during centrifugation of the blood sample. This finding should incite one to look for cryoglobulins according to the usual procedure (at 37 degrees C) as well as to measure serum proteins on a sample also collected at 37 degrees C. Thus occasionally one happens to detect such dysglobulinaemia and if all results point to a diagnosis of myeloma -- as was the case here -- treatment can then be started early with advantage.