Multiple myeloma presenting with a maxillary lesion as the first sign

ABSTRACT

Multiple myeloma is a clonal neoplastic proliferation of terminally differentiated B-lymphocytes involving the skeletal system in a multifocal fashion. Its oral manifestations are less common in the maxilla than in the mandible due to the lower amount of hemopoietic bone marrow in the maxilla. We report the case of a 50-year-old man who presented with a mass in the left maxillary alveolar region with tooth mobility. The mass had become enlarged after the teeth were extracted 15 days previously. Radiographs demonstrated multiple punched-out radiolucent lesions in the skull and pelvic region. Computed tomography images showed a soft tissue density mass in the left maxilla, eroding the floor and walls of the maxillary sinus. Although several analytical techniques were used to characterize the lesion, it was finally confirmed as multiple myeloma through immunohistochemistry.