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. 2016 May-Jun;1(2):49-51.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbj.2016.04.001. Epub 2016 Jun 19.

Plasma cell leukaemia

Carlos Galvão Braga  1 , Ana Raquel Rodrigues  1 , Marina Alves  1 , Catarina Portela  2 , Luísa Pinto  1 , Herlander Marques  2
Affiliations

Plasma cell leukaemia

Carlos Galvão Braga et al. Porto Biomed J. 2016 May-Jun.

Abstract

Plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive disease. Diagnosis is made when there are >2000/#mL circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood or plasmacytosis >20% of total leukocyte count. We report a case of a 51-year old man with generalized bone pain and constitutional symptoms. Blood peripheral smear revealed leukocytosis with 39% plasma cells. Bone marrow biopsy showed plasma cell invasion, which confirmed the diagnosis of PCL. Additionally, the patient had markers of advanced disease. Chemotherapy with vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone was started. Despite an initial favourable response, the patient died 2 months later due to an infectious complication. PCL has no established treatment and has a dismal prognosis, requiring the achievement of better data to improve the disease course.

Keywords: Multiple myeloma; Plasma cell leukaemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Immunohistochemistry study of the cells after bone marrow biopsy revealed expression of CD56 (not shown) and CD138 (A), and demonstrated cytoplasmic lambda light chain restriction (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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