Multiple Myeloma As Seen At Kenyatta National Hospital(a Prospective Study Of Patients Seen In Knh From March 1980 To February 1982).

Abstract

Fifteen patients with multip1e myeloma seen at KNH during the period march 1980 to February 1982 were studied. The presenting clinical features, laboratory investigations and initial treatment of these patients are distussed. Most clinical and laboratory features of multiple myeloma in Kenya.n patients were essentially the same as elsewhere in the world .This study discusses some aspects of multiple myeloma as seen in Kenyans, compared with similar cases elsewhere. Nost of the patients presented in their fourth and fifth decades. In making diagnosis of myelomatosis these major features were used, viz, (i) presence of myeloma cells in the bone marrow aspirate or in a soft-tissue biopsy, (ii) presence of a paraprotein in the blood and/or urine (iii) osteolytic bone destruction on x-ray. Factors aasociated with a poor prognosis in myelomatosis are raised serum urea above 13 mmol/1 and Bence-Jones protein above 200mg/oL. Initial treatment of the patients to induce remission was by the use of alkylating agents such as melphan coupled with prednisone and alolpurinal on intermittent course.