THE wide application of electrophoretic and immunologic techniques to the study of the paraimmunoglobulins in multiple myeloma has been of great value in the diagnosis and management of this disease. After thorough study, however, in a few patients,1-3 clearly documented multiple myeloma is found in the complete absence of a paraprotein in either serum or urine. The purpose of this report is to present such a patient in whom a distinctly abnormal chromosome pattern was found. A variety of investigators 4-13 have studied the chromosomal compositions of both the bone marrow and the blood of myeloma patients. A heterogeneous group of chromosomal abnormalities have been observed in the majority of patients reported.7-13 The studies on this patient are compared to those reported in the literature and the relationship of chromosome changes to the paraproteins explored.
Report of a Case
This 48-year-old retired Air Force officer was first admitted