Case Report: Delayed Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis in a Young Patient

Seta Degann, MD, a resident physician at the George Washington University Hospital, discussed a case report published in Haematology on a delayed diagnosis of multiple myeloma in an African American female patient in her early thirties. Dr. Degann also outlined the treatment path for this patient, who is now in complete remission, and described the overall challenges of diagnosing younger patients with this blood cancer.

“Multiple myeloma is extremely rare in young patients and can have a [more] atypical presentation than we’re normally used to seeing,” Dr. Degann said. “These patients can often present with bone lesions, including pathologic fractures, and that may be the only manifestation of multiple myeloma.”