The patient was a 55-year-old male, and had received intermittent hemodialysis due to renal failure since February 1985. He was admitted to our hospital on July 16, 1986 due to cough and high fever.
Chest X-rays showed pleural effusion of the right lung and Bone X-rays revealed compression fractures of the 12th thoracic and 2nd and 5th lumbar spines.
Bone marrow aspirates revealed sheets of abnormal plasma cells. Repeated serum protein electrophoresis showed a marked M-spike in the beta region, which was immunologically identified as IgE lambda type protein. Associated Bence Jones protein of lambda type in the urine was also found.
The patient was treated with cyclophosphamide and steroid, but pleural effusion increased bilaterally. He died of dyspnea on December 4, 1986.
The clinical and laboratory features of IgE myeloma were compared with those of the 23 cases previously reported as myeloma.
