Myelomatous meningitis: a case report

Multiple myeloma is characterized by the production of a monoclonal immunoglobulin. Myelomatous meningitis is a rare occurrence in multiple myeloma. The signs of meningeal myelomatosis include impairment of consciousness, cranial nerve palsies, convulsions and plasmatic cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. Atypical, plasmatic cells in the cerebrospinal fluid are an important finding for the diagnosis of meningeal myeloma. A combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy is the usual treatment. Patients with meningeal myelomatosis can have a good response to treatment initially, but their prognosis is poor and death occurs within a few months. We present the case of a woman with myelomatous meningitis. Multiple myeloma was diagnosed by serum protein electrophoresis and bone marrow aspiration. This case and a review of the literature show that clinical manifestations of meningeal myeloma are non-specific.