Martin Mistrík, Zdeněk Adam
Multiple myeloma is a malignant disease characterized with uncontroled monoclonal abnormal B-lymphocyte proliferation. Tumor expansion involves mainly bone marrow and bones. There is monoclonal immunoglobulin (M-protein) production in myeloma cells, which could be detected in urine or in serum. Malignant hyperproliferation and its products cause distrurbances of organ functions, bone pains and fractures, neurological signs, hemostasis abnormalities and hyperviscosity syndrome. Multiple myeloma can present with sudden change in condition or as an medical emergency, e.g. spinal cord compression, pathological fracture, hyperviscosity, sepsis or hypercalcemia. Insidious and frequently slow development, together with a wide range of different clinical symptoms and laboratory-diagnostic findings have potential to make early multiple myeloma diagnosis difficult.