title: [Spinal cord compression in malignant plasmacytic diseases. Apropos of 6 cases].
abstract: Myeloma may be complicated or revealed by spinal cord compression. Out of 105 cases of myeloma admitted to this Department, 6 cases of spinal cord compression were observed, with a favourable outcome after treatment by laminectomy combined with radiotherapy. In 5 cases out of 6, spinal cord compression was either the presenting sign or occurred within the first months after diagnosis. Compression occurred in the thoracic cord in 5 cases, and in the lumbar cord in 1 case. The interval between the first symptom and diagnosis varied greatly (from a few hours to 1 year), as did the degree of paraplegia, which ranged from paraparesis to flaccid paraplegia. A favourable outcome occurs in most other reported cases, in contrast with spinal cord compression from metastases. Treatment (laminectomy-radiotherapy or both) remains controversial.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
vernacular_title: Compression médullaire des maladies plasmocytaires malignes. A propos de 6 observations.