title: Multiple plasmacytomas in skin. Harbinger of aggressive B-immunocytic malignancy.
abstract: A 55-year-old alcoholic man with chronic atypical mycobacterial lung disease developed multiple plasmacytomas in the skin over a 6-month period. There was no evidence of either multiple myeloma or plasma cell leukemia at the time of diagnosis; however, evidence of multiple myeloma became apparent about 7 months later, and the man died, despite therapy for this condition, about 22 months after the initial diagnosis of his plasma cell disorder. Despite the apparent rarity of this clinical presentation, the available evidence suggests it is a harbinger of a relatively aggressive B-immunocytic malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wash.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Simrell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thorning
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*