Viscosity was determined in a series of 1402 paraproteinemic sera. Viscosity was measured on an ultrasonic viscosimeter of domestic design and was expressed in relative units(ru). Increased viscosity over 2.1 ru was found in 288 sera, i.e. 20.5%. Clinical symptoms of the hyperviscosity syndrome were found in 44 cases (3%) with viscosity over 4.0 ru. Malignant monoclonal gammopathy as proved in all 44 cases. In 17 determinations with the presence of paraprotein IgM, the mean viscosity was 6.35% +/- 2.6 ru, and the mean paraprotein concentration was 41.12 +/- 11.26g/l. In 17 cases we found paraprotein IgG with a mean viscosity of 6.38 +/- 2.4 ru and a mean concentration of paraprotein was 63.66 +/- 14.52g/l. In 9 determinations with the presence of paraprotein IgA, the mean viscosity as 5.22 +/- 1.02 ru and the mean paraprotein concentration was 49.77 +/- 13.89g/1. In one case we found a double paraproteinemia of IgG-lambda + IgA-kappa (31.9 + 24.2g/l), with a viscosity of 10.5 ru.

2nd Department of Medicine Charles University Faculty of Medicine