GASTROINTESTINAL TUMOR MASSES DUE TO MULTIPLE-MYELOMA - A PATHOLOGICAL MIMIC OF MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

Aims: To describe and evaluate two cases of gastrointestinal involveme nt by multiple myeloma. Methods and results: Clinical details were obt ained from patients records and routine histopathological sections wer e correlated with haematological and immunohistochemical investigation s. As shown in the accompanying illustrations, myeloma manifests as la rge, atypical, non-cohesive cells which may mimic high-grade lymphoma. Conclusions: Extraskeletal spread of multiple myeloma occurs more fre quently than is currently recognized, but clinical involvement of gut is rarely reported, Gut involvement may occur soon after initial diagn osis of myeloma and may be of serious clinical consequence. Histologic ally. it may mimic high-grade lymphoma. Failure to recognize myelomato us involvement of gut may result in inappropriate surgery or oncologic al therapy.