Solitary plasmacytomas of the spine: a review of 84 cases.

In order to document the differences in survival between patients with solitary plasmacytoma and those with multiple myeloma involving the spine, we have reviewed the cases of 12 patients with solitary plasmacytoma of the vertebral column treated at the University of Iowa and an additional 72 cases reported in the literature. All patients were followed for 2 years or more without evidence of disseminated disease. The mean disease-free interval for 84 patients was 76 months; 44% of the patients developed disseminated disease, 2-13 years after diagnosis. The 5-year, disease-free survival was 60%. In our study group, survival following dissemination was limited, with a mean of 17 months. This review of 84 cases of solitary plasmacytoma of the spine confirms the significantly greater survival of patients with solitary plasmacytoma, and supports the use of radiotherapy as the treatment modality of choice.