PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Walker, Ronald C.
AU  - Brown, Tracy L.
AU  - Jones-Jackson, Laurie B.
AU  - De Blanche, Lorraine
AU  - Bartel, Twyla
TI  - Imaging of Multiple Myeloma and Related Plasma Cell Dyscrasias
AID  - 10.2967/jnumed.111.098830
DP  - 2012 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - 1091--1101
VI  - 53
IP  - 7
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/53/7/1091.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/53/7/1091.full
SO  - J Nucl Med2012 Jul 01; 53
AB  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell malignancy of the bone marrow. MM has 3 components: diffuse marrow infiltration, focal bone lesions, and soft-tissue (extramedullary) disease. The hallmark biomarker in blood or urine is a monoclonal immunoglobulin, the monoclonal protein. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a similar disease with secretion of IgM. Staging is classically performed with the 1975 Durie–Salmon system, which includes conventional radiographs. Recently updated, the Durie–Salmon Plus staging system includes CT, MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. The hallmark radiographic lesion of symptomatic MM is a well-demarcated, focal osteolytic bone lesion. The number of focal bone lesions correlates inversely with outcome. Extramedullary disease is typically an aggressive, poorly differentiated form of MM that confers inferior outcome, with median survival of less than 1 y if present at diagnosis. Achievement of a complete response on 18F-FDG PET before stem-cell transplantation correlates with a superior outcome.