RESUMO
@#Haemoglobinopathies presenting with erythrocytosis is relatively rare. The clinicians might mistakenly diagnose such patients with other causes of erythrocytosis such as myeloproliferative neoplasm, etc instead of haemoglobinopathies. Here, we described two cases of haemoglobin variant, namely Haemoglobin Johnstown (Hb Johnstown) and Haemoglobin Bethesda (Hb Besthesda) that were detected following various futile investigations for persistent erythrocytosis. For both cases, the two main screening methods used were capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Approximately 30% of the high affinity haemoglobin (Hb) are not detected by electrophoresis method, however, in some cases, a variant Hb peak can be seen in chromatography method. Thus, a high index of suspicion of such diagnosis is utmost important as to not to miss the definitive diagnostic test by DNA analysis.
RESUMO
Non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM) is a rare variant of the classic form of multiple myeloma (MM). In NSMM, no monoclonal gammopathy can be detected in serum or urine by conventional techniques, making the diagnosis more difficult. We describe a 71-year-old man who had been diagnosed and treated for granulocytic sarcoma one year prior to his recent problems of progressive low-back pain of two months duration. Skeletal X-rays showed diffuse osteolytic lesions with multiple pathological fractures but there was no monoclonal gammopathy in the serum or urine. The biopsy of the lytic lesion on the upper part of the femur showed infiltration by abnormal plasma cells. A diagnosis of NSMM was made and he was treated with chemotherapy. The early diagnostic difficulty and the challenges faced regarding the case are discussed.