multiple myeloma CHORUS

Description: * most common primary malignant neoplasm of bone
* 50-70y; M:F 2:1
* symptoms: vague bone pain of progressive severity, fever, anemic sxs
* complications: pathologic fractures
* solitary plasmacytoma: solitary osseous focus of MM (uncommon)
x-ray findings:
* loss of bone density - from diffuse marrow involvement
* "punched out" lesions - esp. skull, long bones
* diffuse bone destruction - esp. pelvis, sacrum
* invasion of soft tissues - often paraspinal, extrapleural mass
* osteosclerosis - very rare
* metastatic calcifications - particularly kidneys, occ. lungs
NB: does not involve pedicles of spine