Solitary plasmacytoma of the mandible. Case report and review of the literature.

A case of solitary plasmacytoma of the mandible is presented. Review of the literature disclosed the following characteristics regarding the clinical course and prognosis. The patients ages ranged from 34 to 76 years, with a mean of 53 years; there was a marked preponderance of males. The site of predilection was the posterior portion of the mandible. The common symptom was a non-painful swelling of the mandible of long duration, and radiological features were non-specific. Monoclonal immunoglobulin was initially detected in 42% of the evaluated patients. The majority of patients were treated with radiation therapy with a mean dose of 48Gy with or without surgery. The period of follow-up ranged from 4 months to 12 years, and 17% of the patients progressed to multiple myeloma within 1 year.