These controversial findings suggest that the interplay of several cytokines involved in angiogenesis and microvascular permeability, besides VEGF, might be significant in the pathogenesis of POEMS syndrome, at least by explaining some of its clinical features such as extra-vascular volume overload (ascites, pleural effusion and oedema), skin angioma, papilloedema and presumably peripheral neuropathy [7, 15, 17, 20]. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is POEMS syndrome.