Long term complete remission in primary plasma cell leukemia.

A 76-year-old female was diagnosed as having primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL), based on abundant atypical plasma cells in the circulation and bone marrow, monoclonal kappa light chain in the serum and urine, the immunophenotype of the plasma cells and the lack of preceding multiple myeloma. The patient was treated with melphalan and prednisolone (MP), and complete remission (CR) was achieved; this was maintained for 28 months. The duration of CR in this patient appears to be the longest of those reported in well-documented primary PCL patients who have been treated with MP chemotherapy.