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Liver involvement in multiple myeloma proven by peritoneoscopy--a case report
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yonsei Medical Journal
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Multiple myeloma commonly affects the liver, but direct confirmation is rare. This case highlights plasma cell infiltration in the liver of a multiple myeloma patient, confirmed via biopsy.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Hepatology
- Oncology
Background:
- Liver involvement is frequently observed in autopsy studies of multiple myeloma.
- The clinical significance of liver infiltration in multiple myeloma remains unclear.
- Invasive liver biopsies to confirm plasma cell infiltration are seldom performed due to diagnostic uncertainty.
Observation:
- A patient with multiple myeloma presented with worsening liver function.
- The patient was also a carrier of the hepatitis B virus.
- A peritoneoscopic liver biopsy was performed to investigate the liver function abnormalities.
Findings:
- The liver biopsy revealed infiltration by lymphoreticular cells.
- Immunohistochemical staining identified these cells as lambda-light chain producing primitive plasma cells.
- This confirmed plasma cell infiltration of the liver in the context of multiple myeloma.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates the diagnostic value of liver biopsy in multiple myeloma patients with hepatic dysfunction.
- It underscores the importance of considering plasma cell infiltration as a cause of liver abnormalities in multiple myeloma.
- Further research is warranted to understand the clinical impact and management of liver involvement in multiple myeloma.