A 76-year-old female was diagnosed as having primary plasma cell leuke
mia (PCL), based on abundant atypical plasma cells in the circulation
and bone marrow, monoclonal kappa light chain in the serum and urine,
the immunophenotype of the plasma cells and the lack of preceding mult
iple myeloma. The patient was treated with melphalan and prednisolone
(MP), and complete remission (CR) was achieved; this was maintained fo
r 28 months. The duration of CR in this patient appears to be the long
est of those reported in well-documented primary PCL patients who have
been treated with MP chemotherapy.