Pathology of multiple myeloma

The diagnosis of multiple myeloma is based on a combination of radiological, laboratory and pathological findings. Bone marrow plasmocytosis is the most important criterion in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The pattern of infiltration and the plasma cell morphology have prognostic significance. The immunophenotype of the plasma cells can change after treatment; a polytypic phenotype after treatment has a significantly longer progression-free survival. The expression of adhesion molecules and proliferative markers will be increasingly important in predicting the prognosis and providing targets for new treatments. Another growing field is the elucidation of chromosomal abnormalities in the different stages of the disease and development of cytogenetic prognostication.