[Major symptoms of multiple myeloma and their management--neurologic disorders]

The incidence of neurologic complications in multiple myeloma has been reported as high as 10 to 40% of the patients and neurologic symptoms are sometimes recognized as first manifestation of the disease. Neurologic lesions in multiple myeloma are classified as follows. 1. cerebral disorders (due to intracranial lesion, or renal insufficiency, hypercalcemia, anemia without intracranial lesion), 2. cranial nerve and intracranial involvement, 3. spinal cord or cauda equina compression, 4. radiculopathy (involvement of a nerve root). 5. peripheral neuropathy, Incidence, symptoms, and management of each disorder are reviewed with presenting case reports of the patients with multiple myeloma cases who showed neurologic disorders in our institution.