12th Congress of the European Hematology ... - Haematologica

er patient does not indicate such treatment. Where multiple myeloma is
coincident with Gaucher disease, chemotherapy may aggravate cytopenia.
Gaucher-specific therapy before chemotherapy may improve the
patient’s tolerability to chemotherapy. Each case must be evaluated individually.
Conclusions. While evidence is insufficient to conclude that multiple
myeloma represents disease progression in Gaucher disease, certain
pathophysiological consequences of Gaucher disease may influence the
aetiology of haematological malignancy in Gaucher patients. Clinicians
should be vigilant to higher risk of multiple myeloma in Gaucher disease.
Future studies should focus on the utility of early treatment to prevent
immunoglobulin abnormalities and multiple myeloma.
References
de Fost M, Vom Dahl S, Weverling GJ, Brill N, Brett S, Haussinger D, Hollak
CE Blood Cells Mol Dis 2006;36: 53-8
Cox TM, Aerts JM, Andria G, Beck M, Belmatoug N, Bembi B, et al. J Inherit
Metab Dis 2006;26:513-26.
EMEA 2006. http://www.emea.eu.int/humandocs/Humans/EPAR/zavesca/
zavesca.htm
Beutler E, Waalen J Blood 2006;107:1747-50.
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THE INFECTIONS COMPLICATIONS IN THE EVOLUTION OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA
M. Badea, D. Badea, A. Genunche, I. Schenker
Univ of Medicine and Pharmacy, CRAIOVA, Romania
Introduction. Recurrent bacterial infections are a major cause of illness
and are the most frequent cause of death in-patients with advanced
myeloma. Material and method. The study included 94 patients (58 men
and 36 women) with multiple myeloma followed up between October
1983 and June 2005. The age range was 45 to 83 years (mean age, 65,9
years). Results. 58,82% patients had a monoclonal IgG, (23,52%) had
IgA, 14,7% had only light chain in urine, 1,47% had IgD and 1,47%
was nonsecretory myeloma. Over a median follow-up of 27,8 months,
the study group presented 164 febrile episodes longer than 3 days and
in 116 of them the etiology was identified. Only 29,41% of patients did
not present infectious episodes in their course of disease, most of them
being alive, 85% (17 from 20) versus 52,08% (25 from 48) but don’t
reach the level of significance. 58,1% of the infection episodes occurred
in the first 3 months after diagnosis and chemotherapy initiation, 33.72%
occurred in the relapsing phase and 8,13% in the plateau phase. Streptococcus
pneumonia and Hemophilus influenzae, are the most common
pathogens in previously untreated, non-neutropenic myeloma patients
76% versus 24% in neutropenic patients with refractory disease p