title: Two cases of nonsecretory multiple myeloma presenting as primary plasma cell leukemia.
abstract: Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare variant of multiple myeloma (MM) with a poor prognosis. Nonsecretory myeloma is also a rare form of MM characterized by the absence of detectable M-protein in the serum and urine. This report describes two cases of nonsecretory PCL. The first patient was an 85-year-old man in whom the lack of monoclonal immunoglobulins made it difficult to make a diagnosis because the malignant cells showed an atypical morphology. He died of rapid disease progression before starting chemotherapy. The second patient was a 78-year-old woman whose tumor cells displayed a typical plasma cell morphology. She was successfully treated with bortezomib-containing chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Tenshi Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Hideto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsujisaki
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007952:Leukemia, Plasma Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents