Mandibular mass as the primary manifestation of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma as a mandibular primary - Dilemma in diagnosing rare tumours of the mandible

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy, and its typical radiographic presentation includes punched-out radiolucency of the skull. It is a bourgeois description of myeloma and often holds good in most cases. However, the diagnosis can get tricky when a patient walks into the clinic with non-specific signs and symptoms. Many suspicions arise when we examine a well-defined mandibular swelling, but the real picture is revealed with thorough screening. This article presents a rare mandibular swelling diagnosed as MM, emphasizing important differential diagnoses for maxillofacial surgeons and pathologists.

Mandibular destructive radiolucent lesion: The first sign of multiple myeloma

The occurrence of a mandibular lesion as the first sign of multiple myeloma (MM) is uncommon. This report describes a case of MM diagnosed because of a mandibular lesion. A 62-year-old woman presented a destructive radiolucent lesion in the right mandibular ramus. The lesion caused rupture of the anterior cortical bone and extended from the retromolar area to the coronoid process. An incisional biopsy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed numerous pleomorphic plasma cells, some with binucleated nuclei. The tumor cells showed kappa light-chain restriction. Bone marrow biopsy showed findings of massive infiltration of neoplastic plasma cells, besides lesions in the vertebrae. The diagnosis of MM was established. The patient underwent autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Currently, the patient is under regular follow up after 40 months of initial treatment. In conclusion, MM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of destructive mandibular lesions.

Key words:Mandible, multiple myeloma, radiolucent lesion.