Neurologic Complications of Myelomatosis

Abstract

Although the nervous system manifestations of multiple myeloma have been described previously,^1-9 there still remains some controversy concerning the incidence, pathogenesis, and treatment of the several types of neurologic complications of the disease. Many of the previous publications of the neurologic aspects of myelomatosis were based on observations of small series of patients who were sometimes specially selected (eg, those admitted to a neurosurgical service). The emphasis of many of the previous reports has been either on the direct compression of the nervous system by myeloma tumor or on distant "toxic" effects. In the older literature, the criteria for the diagnosis of multiple myeloma have, at times, also been uncertain. The purpose of this communication is to report and discuss the neurologic complications observed in 277 patients admitted to a general hospital, where a diagnosis of multiple myeloma was eventually proved. Materials and Methods The 277 patients were all