Renal disease is a prodrome of multiple myeloma: an analysis of 50 patients from eastern India.

This study describes a spectrum of renal diseases that can precede the diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM). Patients presenting manifestations of renal disease were recorded as individual patients of MM. Fifty patients (male 41; female 9) were included in this study. Diagnosis of MM was confirmed by two or more of the following four features: lytic bone lesions, serum or urine monoclonal peak, Bence Jones proteinuria, and greater than 20% plasma cells in bone marrow. Renal disease was present in 42 of 50 (84%) patients before MM was diagnosed. In only eight of 50 (16%) patients, diagnosis of MM preceded the detection of renal disease. Renal diseases consisted of acute renal failure in 26 patients (52%), chronic renal failure in 15 patients (30%) and nephrotic syndrome in 9 patients (18%). Some of the patients with acute or chronic renal failure also had heavy proteinuria. Percutaneous renal biopsy was done in 17 patients. Renal histopathology showed amyloidosis (n = 10), cast nephropathy (n = 5), nodular glomerulosclerosis (n = 1), and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis with plasma cell infiltration (n = 1). Hypercalcemia (calcium 11-13.8 mg/dL) was the most common precipitating factor for acute renal failure. All 50 patients received combination chemotherapy of melphalan and prednisolone or vincristine, Adriamycin, and dexamethasone. More than half of the total number of patients did not complete chemotherapy because of death or lost to follow-up. Nineteen patients with acute renal failure and eight patients with chronic renal failure were treated with hemodialysis. Fourteen patients (28%) with acute renal failure had recovery of renal function. Twenty-three patients (46%) were lost to follow-up. Seven patients (14%) died from sepsis, uremia, or hyperkalemia. Remission of MM was found in 9 of 21 (42.8%) patients who completed chemotherapy. Thus, acute renal failure is the most common renal disease preceding the diagnosis of MM. Reversal of renal function is achieved with chemotherapy and hemodialysis treatment.