Multiple Myeloma: a Retrospective Analysis of 61 Patients from a Tertiary Care Center

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an acquired clonal B-cell malignancy which primarily affects elderly individuals with an annual incidence of approximately 1% of all malignancies. Our aim is to study demographic and clinicopathological features of adult Pakistani MM patients at presentation. Materials and Methods: This single centre retrospective study extended from January 2010 to December 2014. Data were retrieved from the patients' maintained records on predetermined performa. Results: Overall, 61 patients were diagnosed at our institution with MM during the study period. There were 43 males and 18 females. Age ranged between 34 and 81 years with a mean of $56.1{\pm}12.8$ and a median of 57 years. The male to female ratio was ~2:1. Common presenting complaints included fatigue (81.9%), backache (80.3%) and bone pain (67.2%). Physical findings revealed pallor (44.2%) as a presenting clinical feature. The mean hemoglobin value was $8.9{\pm}1.7g/dl$ with a mean MCV of $85.3{\pm}11.0fl$. Severe anemia with hemoglobin <8.5 gm/dl was seen in 40.9%. The mean total leukocyte count was $8.9{\pm}8.2{\times}10^9/l$, the ANC was $5.0{\pm}3.1{\times}10^9/l$ and the mean platelet count was $188.4{\pm}150.6{\times}10^9/l$. Conclusions: MM in Pakistani patients is seen in a relatively young population with male preponderance. The majority of patients present with symptomatic anemia and backache to seek medical attention. However, clinico-pathological features appear comparable to the published literature.