[Monoclonal gammopathy: a frequently overlooked diagnosis].
OBJECTIVE
To know the rate of occurrence of monoclonal bands in a clinical laboratory as an estimate of monoclonal gammopathy incidence, and to detect the proportion of these bands in which an explicit clinical diagnosis or follow-up request is not established. Other objectives are to describe its distribution and the characteristics of the patients.


METHODS
200 patients were studied in which a monoclonal band had been detected de novo.


RESULTS
The incidence was 6.59 x 10(-4) year(-1). In 59.5% a diagnostic assumption was not stated. Most frequent diagnosis in the group of patients with a diagnosis was monoclonal gammopathy with uncertain meaning. Average age of patients was 74.4 years and the difference between percentages by sex was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest a lack of clinical effort when the result is the appearance of a monoclonal band. There is no discrepancy in the distribution of the bands and in the characteristics of the patients with regard to what is described in other studies.
Batuecas Mohedano
M
M
Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, SESCAM. miriambatuecas@hotmail.com
Piqueras Argüello
J A
JA
Carballo Alvarez
F
F
Parra Cid
T
T
Larrubia Marfil
J R
JR
Vinssac Gil
J L
JL
Granizo Domínguez
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology