title: Evaluation of multiple myeloma patients presenting with renal failure in a university hospital in the year 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate multiple myeloma patients presenting with renal failure in a University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of all the patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the departments of hematology and nephrology at Gazi University Hospital between January 2010 and January 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Renal failure was defined as a serum creatinine level of ≥2 mg/dL. Median age was 63 (range 37-80) years, with 13 male and 17 female patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight (26.7%) of the 30 patients had renal failure and 4 (50%) patients with renal failure required renal replacement therapy with hemodialysis after admission. Renal functions recovered in four (50%) of the eight patients after treatment. In one of the eight patients (12.5%) creatinine levels improved, but did not reach the level defined as reversal of renal failure. The renal functions of the three (37.5%) patients did not improve and they remained on chronic hemodialysis program during which one of them died due to a cerebrovascular accident and one other patient was lost due to follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial proportion of myeloma patients referred with renal failure might enjoy a disease-free survival and could be saved from chronic renal replacement therapy with prompt diagnosis and treatment in the era of new-generation anti-myeloma agents which provide fast and effective responses. Multiple myeloma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute renal failure even in the absence of hyperglobulinemia and hypercalcemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suyanı
authors.forename: Gülsan Türköz
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Sucak
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Erten
authors.forename: Merih Kızıl
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cakar
authors.forename: Gülay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ulusal
authors.forename: Münci
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yağcı
authors.forename: Rauf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haznedar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies