Far and Few Between: Early Onset Multiple Myeloma in a 26-Year-Old Female

Multiple myeloma (MM), a common hematologic malignancy, is predominantly a disease of old age with a median age at diagnosis hovering around 70 years. Medical literature remains largely bereft of reports of the ailment in young female patients. We chronicle the case of a 26-year-old female patient who presented with a history of fever, weight loss, constipation, frequent infections, and back and chest pain. Laboratory workup divulged underlying anemia, renal impairment, increased calcium, and significant urinary proteins, insinuating a diagnosis of MM. Subsequent bone marrow examination confirmed a diagnosis of MM. Following treatment with a concoction of dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide and bortezomib, the patient improved rapidly, and her clinical symptoms abated. This article further accentuates the need for physicians to be cognizant of the possibility of early-onset MM in unusually young patients.