Solitary plasmacytoma of bone occurs in about 5% of patients with plasma ce
ll myeloma. Modern techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging and the
search for monoclonal plasma cells in morphologically normal bone marrow,
may allow the identification of patients with truly localized disease. Radi
otherapy at a dose of 4500 cGy usually eradicates the tumor and is associat
ed with prolonged disease-free survival in many patients. Extramedullary pl
asmacytoma is less common than solitary plasmacytoma of bone and more frequ
ently occurs in the head and neck area. Radiotherapy is associated with a v
ery high local control rate, and less than 30% of patients develop a distan
t relapse. The prognosis of extramedullary plasmacytoma is better than that
of solitary bone plasmacytoma.