Plasmacytoma of the Cervical Spine: A Case Study

The purpose of this case study is to describe the presentation of a patient with plasmacytoma.

A 49-year-old man presented with progressive neck pain, stiffness, and dysphagia to a chiropractic office. A radiograph indicated a plasmacytoma at C3 vertebral body. The lesion was expansile and caused a mass effect anteriorly on the esophagus and posteriorly on the spinal cord. Neurologic compromise was noted with fasciculations and hypesthesia in the right forearm. The patient was referred to a neurosurgeon.

Surgical resection of the tumor was performed with a vertebral body spacer and surrounding titanium cage. Bony fusion was initiated by inserting bone grafts from the iliac crests into the titanium cage. Additional laboratory analysis and advanced imaging confirmed that the plasmacytoma had progressed to multiple myeloma and radiation and chemotherapy were also necessary.

A chiropractor recognized a large, expansile plasmacytoma in the C3 vertebral body and referred the patient for surgical care. This case suggests that all practitioners of manual medicine should provide a careful analysis of the patient's clinical presentation and, if clinically warranted, radiographic examination to determine neck or back pain is due to an underlying malignant condition.