Multiple myeloma arising from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in a patient with Gaucher's disease.
We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who, 12 years after receiving a diagnosis of Gaucher's disease with concurrent monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, developed worsening thrombocytopenia and bone pain. Bone marrow biopsy at this time revealed 50% plasma cells with a serum monoclonal immunoglobulin A-lambda level of 3.2 g/L. Roentgenography revealed a lytic clavicular lesion, and a diagnosis of multiple myeloma was made. To our knowledge, this case is the first to document the evolution of a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance to multiple myeloma in a patient with Gaucher's disease. The importance of investigating cytopenias and increased bone pain in such patients, perhaps by bone marrow biopsy, to rule out potentially malignant plasma cell dyscrasias is stressed.
Brady
K
K
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0506, USA.
Corash
L
L
Bhargava
V
V
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005776:Gaucher Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology