Sudden severe pain can be a sign of fracture or collapse of a vertebral body. General malaise and vague complaints are often seen, although weight loss is not common. Both neutropenia and hypogamma globulinemia increase the likelihood of infections. Also, Haemophilus and Herpes zoster infections are often seen. Precipitation of calcium salts can result in deterioration of kidney function.
Neurologic involvement can result in specific problems depending on the location.
Although the first two are due to plasma cell tumor formation or infiltration, carpal tunnel syndrome is usually due to amyloid deposition, i.e. deposition of Bence Jones proteins while cross - link to form amyloid. This system brings together the major clinical parameters in correlation with measured myeloma cell mass. Since 1975 several new valuable parameters have been discovered. In 1991, during the 5th Hannover Interferon Workshop, Durie presented a variant of the scheme which also uses these two parameters. This sort of scheme makes it possible first to categorize these patients and then potentially select the optimal therapy.