[Prognostic significance of skeletal lesions in multiple myeloma]

Prognostic significance of the skeletal lesions in multiple myeloma. Fifty-two patients with multiple myeloma have been analysed and relations between bone X-ray changes and several clinical biohumoral parameters and survival have been found. Our studies show no correlation between the extent of skeletal lesions and the seriousness of anaemia, or between bone marrow infiltration and renal involvement. The results also show that patients with apparently normal bones may also have serious anaemia, wide bone marrow infiltration and serious renal lesions rapidly leading to a poor prognosis. Comparison of survival curves, according to the grade of bone X-ray changes at presentation, shows no significant difference: the grade of bone lesions at diagnosis does not seem to considerably influence survival.