Metastatic Multiple Myeloma to the Skin

Abstract

Cutaneous involvement of multiple myeloma (MM) is uncommon, typically occurs in late stage disease, and is a poor prognostic indicator with an approximate eight month median survival. We present a 51-year-old man with relapsed lambda light chain MM who developed abrupt asymptomatic skin metastases. Biopsy revealed a dermis replete of atypical plasma cells, positive for CD138 and CD45. In situ hybridization confirmed lambda light chain restriction. Despite rescue antimyeloma therapy with the anti-CD38 drug daratumumab, he rapidly declined clinically and succumbed to the disease four weeks after presentation. A standard treatment approach for cutaneous MM does not currently exist; however, various techniques to detect cytogenetic abnormalities are emerging and will provide additional prognostic value and direct individualized therapy.