Clinical profile of plasma cell leukemia at Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir, India

Abstract

Introduction: Plasma cell dyscrasias represent 1.4–2% of all malignancies and among hematologic malignancies; it constitutes 10% of the tumors. Plasma cell dyscrasias are composed of multiple myeloma (MM), and primary and secondary plasma cell leukemia. Materials and Methods: Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and aggressive disease, representing 1–4% of plasma cell dyscrasias. Results: The prognosis of this is very poor with median survival of 8–11 months in different reported series. Discussion: We are reporting a study from our hospital over a period of 8 years and 9 months, in which pPCL was found in 1.8% of MM patients, with slight male predominance and earlier age than MM, and all had high disease burden with high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β2-microglobulin, and plasmacytosis. Conclusion: This disease had very aggressive behavior, especially with light chain lambda disease, and all patients succumbed within 8 months of treatment.

Keywords

• Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
• multiple myeloma (MM)
• per iodic acid schiff (P.A.S.)
• peripheral blood film (PBF)
• primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL)
• secondary plasma cell leukemia (sPCL)
• Sudan black stain (S.B.)