Open AccessMyelomatous pleural effusion: A rare presentation of multiple myeloma
Author(s) -
Shameem Mohammad,
Akhtar Jamal,
Khan Nafees Ahmad,
Baneen Ummul,
Bhargava Rakesh,
Ahmed Zuber,
Shahid Mohammad
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/j.1759-7714.2011.00049.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pleural effusion , multiple myeloma , pathology , immunofixation , bone marrow , effusion , radiology , antibody , monoclonal , surgery , immunology , monoclonal antibody
Myelomatous pleural effusion is a very rare presentation of multiple myeloma. A 65‐year‐old male patient presented to us with complaints of dyspnea and left‐sided chest pain. His contrast enhanced computed tomography of the thorax showed left‐sided pleural effusion with multiple pleural nodules. His pleural fluid cytology shows malignant plasma cells with eccentric nuclei and cart wheel chromatin and a few cells showing binucleation and multinucleation suggestive of plasma cell myeloma. His pleural fluid and serum electrophoresis showed a distinct band in the gamma globulin region (M‐spike). On immunofixation of pleural fluid and serum, immunoglobulin G lambda light chain band was detected. Bone marrow aspiration showed sheets of malignant plasma cells with large and binucleated cells suggestive of multiple myeloma. The patient was diagnosed with multiple myeloma presenting as myelomatous pleural effusion. Intercostal tube drainage and then pleurodesis with talc was performed.