Risk factors

Castleman disease can affect people of any age. But the average age of people diagnosed with unicentric Castleman disease is 35. Most people with the multicentric form are in their 50s and 60s. The multicentric form is also slightly more common in men than in women.

The risk of developing multicentric Castleman disease is higher in people who are infected with a virus called human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8).