Spinal cord compression in multiple myeloma: who gets it?

Of 97 Chinese patients with multiple myeloma seen over a 12-year period, 23.7% were found to have cauda equina or spinal cord compression (SCC). Predictive features for SCC include paraprotein type, hemoglobin level, and the extent of bone lesion at initial hematological diagnosis. A discriminant function derived from this analysis can be used to predict the likelihood of SCC with 79% accuracy. It is postulated that when the cortex is more involved than the medulla in a vertebra, it will predispose to SCC while hemopoiesis is relatively preserved. Our patients presented late with advanced neurological deficit so that treatment was unsatisfactory. It is emphasised that early recognition of back pain and neurological symptoms is essential, as any delay would jeopardize the chance of neurological recovery.