Plasma exchange therapy in rapidly progressive renal failure due to multiple myeloma

Nineteen patients with severe renal failure due to multiple myeloma and with Bence Jones proteinuria greater than 1 gm/day were randomly assigned to group I or group II. Corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs were given to all cases. The 9 patients of group I were also treated by peritoneal dialysis and the 10 patients of group II by plasma exchange and hemodialysis. Only 1 patient of group I, who was not oliguric at the onset, showed partial recovery from renal failure after 3 months of therapy, while 9 patients of group II (3 of whom were oliguric) had significant decrease in Bence Jones proteinuria and rapid improvement from the renal failure. In our experience, plasma exchange is more effective than peritoneal dialysis for reducing Bence Jones proteinuria and recovering from renal failure, even when there is oliguria.