PLASMA CELL LEUKEMIA: AN AGGRESSIVE DISEASE, A CAUSE OF DIAGNOSTIC ERROR

Abstract

Plasma cell leukemia (LP) is a rare and aggressive plasma cell tumor that manifests as significant clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. It is considered primary when it presents at initial diagnosis and secondary when it occurs in patients with pre-existing multiple myeloma (MM). Because of the high frequency of extramedullary injuries, plasma cell leukemia is a major source of diagnostic error that can lead to fatality. We report a case of plasma cell leukemia diagnosed at the clinical haematology department of the CNTS in Dakar (Senegal).