Multiple myeloma: a clinical and pathological profile

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell neoplasm with diverse clinical presentations.
• MM involves abnormal immunoglobulin deposition and plasma cell infiltration.
• Serum or urine M component is detected in 99% of patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical characteristics and incidence of multiple myeloma.
• To compare findings with existing literature on MM demographics and presentation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of all MM cases diagnosed at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India.
• Data collected from March 2003 to August 2004, including clinical findings and investigations.

Main Results:

• Multiple myeloma constituted 11.1% of hematological malignancies.
• The mean age of patients was 58.8 years, with bony pain as the most common symptom.
• Plasmablastic morphology and diffuse bone marrow involvement were frequent.

Conclusions:

• The incidence and median age of MM in this study align with global data.
• A higher proportion of patients presented with hypercalcemia, elevated LDH, CRP, and lytic lesions, indicating a greater tumor burden.
• These differences may be attributed to study size or late patient referral to the tertiary care center.