Multiple Myeloma-Associated Light Chain Amyloidosis and a Proposed Approach to Monoclonal Immunoglobulin-Associated Renal Disease

Abstract

Many challenges remain in diagnosing monoclonal immunoglobulin-associated renal disease, despite widespread application of immunofluorescence (IF) and immunohistochemistry. Here, we report a newly diagnosed case of multiple myeloma with clinical suspicion of renal amyloidosis, which had negative IF staining for kappa and lambda light chains in the glomeruli. Although laser microdissection and mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis have emerged as important tools for amyloid typing in the literature, such facilities are still not widely available in Asia. We propose that a clinicopathological algorithm for the evaluation of organized monoclonal renal deposits, together with a combined nephrological-haematological approach, will still be adequate to generate an unequivocal diagnosis in the majority of cases.