Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of solitary plasmacytoma of bone and solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma

Most patients with plasma cell neoplasia have generalised disease at diagnosis (i.e. multiple myeloma [MM]). However, a few patients (less than 5%) with plasma cell malignancies present with either a single bone lesion, or less commonly, a soft tissue mass of monoclonal plasma cells: solitary plasmacytoma of bone (SBP) or extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEP). SBP has a high risk of progression to MM and, on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, at least 25% of patients with an apparent solitary lesion have evidence of disease elsewhere [ 1 Moulopoulos L.A. Dimopoulos M.A. Weber D. Fuller L. Libshitz H. Alexanian R. Magnetic resonance imaging in the staging of solitary plasmacytoma of bone. J Clin Oncol. 1993; 11: 1311-1315 PubMed Google Scholar ]. In contrast, SEP is nearly always truly localised and has a high cure rate with local treatment.