Immunopathological diagnosis of plasma-cell dyscrasia. Part II. "Secondary" monoclonal gammopathy

Two cases of secondary plasma-cell dyscrasia are presented: one is of undetermined cause and the other is due to hepatic schistosomiasis. Both of the patients showed a prominent IgG monoclonal spikes of more than 3000 mg/dl. One of them had multiple osteolytic bone lesions and pathological fractures, and histopathological picture showed a chronic inflammatory process. An additional case of marked polyclonal gammopathy due to schistosomiasis is also presented to illustrate the immunochemical differential between the physiological and altered immune responses. Schistosomiasis is postulated to be an important immunopathological cause of plasma-cell dyscrasia.