The WMFC was delighted to be able to bring you Dr. Shirley D’Sa from University College London (UK) Hospitals.  She presented to us on Friday Nov. 15th, 2024.

Dr. D’Sa discussed two topics:

  • Peripheral Neuropathy (PN), a common condition experienced by people with WM.
  • Bing-Neel Syndrome, a less-common complication of WM.

For both of these, Dr. D’Sa addressed the symptoms of these conditions, how they develop, how you can enable a swift and accurate diagnosis and how it is recommended to treat these conditions.

We came away understanding that Peripheral Neuropathy is far more complex than one might have thought and as a result one person’s PN is not necessarily the same as another person’s PN.  And therefore treatment options and treatment outcomes vary in their diversity.

Whereas BNS diagnosis and treatment appears to be more straight forward; although the symptoms leading up to diagnosis may be a little more difficult to discern initially.

Dr. D’Sa also touched on the topic of Amyloidosis, yet another possible facet of WM, that is shrouded in mystery for many WMers.

The recording of this event is available on the WMFC YouTube channel!!

Bio: Shirley D’Sa is a Consultant Haematologist and Professor of Haematology at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust in London, United Kingdom. She leads the UCLH Centre for Waldenström’s Macroglobulinaemia (WM) and Associated Disorders and serves as the haematological lead in the Joint Neurohaematology service at the National Hospital for Neurology, Queen Square, London, where she does clinics with Prof. Michael Lunn, a specialist in inflammatory neuropathies.

In addition to her clinical work, Prof. D’Sa is actively involved in clinical research, including real world data analyses and has served as the UK Chief Investigator on several clinical trials related to Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia and Cold Agglutinin Disease, including Phase I, II, and III trials of novel therapies. She is also an enthusiastic mentor to up-and-coming haematology and neurology trainees.

Her dedication to patient care and research has established her as a leading expert in her field, with a reputation for combining clinical excellence with compassionate patient care.