Polycythaemia: an unusual presentation of multiple myeloma

Elaine J Hutchison; Josephine A Taverna; Qi Yu; Andrew M Yeager

doi:10.1136/bcr-2016-216686

Polycythaemia: an unusual presentation of multiple myeloma

BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Sep 20:2016:bcr2016216686. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2016-216686.

Authors

Elaine J Hutchison¹, Josephine A Taverna², Qi Yu¹, Andrew M Yeager²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
² Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Abstract

In contrast to anaemia, polycythaemia is a distinctly uncommon finding in patients with multiple myeloma. We describe the presence of otherwise unexplained polycythaemia in a 57-year-old Caucasian man who was found to have IgG κ multiple myeloma. After treatment of myeloma, the polycythaemia resolved. We reviewed previous reports of polycythaemia associated with multiple myeloma and discuss potential pathophysiological mechanisms that link these 2 conditions.

2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
Bortezomib / therapeutic use*
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Multiple Myeloma / complications*
Multiple Myeloma / drug therapy
Multiple Myeloma / pathology
Paraneoplastic Syndromes / drug therapy*
Polycythemia / drug therapy
Polycythemia / etiology*
Polycythemia / pathology
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents
Bortezomib

Grants and funding

P30 CA023074/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States