Bone Pathology in Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

Multiple myeloma is the most common primary bone disease. Incidence has been reported as 3/100.000 in the United States. This neoplasia is characterized by osteolytic bone destruction and monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells. Multiple myeloma is the most common haematologic malignancy after Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the most common primary bone malignancy in elderly population. Orthopaedic complaints include pain, pathologic fracture, osteoporosis, hypercalcemia and spinal cord compression. Chemotherapy constitutes the main treatment. Surgical intervention should be as minimal as possible and chemotherapy should be started as soon as possible. The risk of infection should also be considered. This review aimed to synthesize the diagnosis and treatment of bone involvement in myeloma disease.

Keywords

• chemotherapy
• intramedullary nailing; myeloma; osteolytic bone destruction; pathologic fracture.