Keywords
plasmacytomas - extramedullary plasmacytomas - intracranial plasmacytomas - chordomas
- solitary plasmacytomas
Introduction
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy.[1] It falls under the plasma cell dyscrasias category, ranging from monoclonal gammopathy
of unknown significance to MM. Plasmacytomas are cancers of plasma cells that form
atypical plasma cell tumors and are associated with the production of monoclonal immunoglobulin
or light chains.[2] Incidence of plasmacytomas related to MM range from 7 to 17% at diagnosis to 6 to
20% during the course of the disease.[3]
Solitary bone plasmacytomas (SBPs) account for 8% of all plasma cell tumors and are
of two main types, the most frequent one being SBP which accounts for 5% of cases,
and solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) which accounts for 3% of all cases.[4] The extramedullary disease is linked with aggressive progression of the disease
and biological and histological features of poor prognosis.[5] Studies have shown that patients presenting with EMP have a lower chance of the
disease progressing to MM as opposed to patients presenting with SBP.[4]
[6]
[7]
EMP are a rare occurrence, the most common site being the upper respiratory tract
and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with the GI tract accounting for 5% of all EMP
cases.[8] The presence of an EMP at the time of diagnosis is associated with a poorer outcome
in comparison with cases where EMP develops as a complication of the disease, with
a median overall survival of 28 versus 68 months.[9] The treatment of EMP requires a multidisciplinary approach involving surgery, pathology,
hematology, and radiology. Here, we conduct a systematic review of all patients reported
in the literature regarding extramedullary intracranial plasmacytomas (EMIPs), highlighting
population characteristics, localization, type, treatment, and outcomes, to better
understand this rare clinical presentation.
Materials and Methods
Literature Search
A systematic review of the literature for EMPs was conducted per the Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The term “extramedullary
plasmacytoma AND multiple myeloma” was used for the search. The search terms were
queried using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Literature in English that presented intracranial plasmacytomas until the present
day was considered. We included only those studies that presented clinical studies
with patients diagnosed with intracranial plasmacytomas. Non-English papers, letters
to the editor, and commentaries were excluded from the initial review.
Results
Study Selection
We found 8,298 articles, 969 in PubMed, 5246 in Embase, 872 in Web of Science, 1,192
in Scopus, and 19 in Cochrane databases. Of these, 671 were removed as duplicates.
Titles of 7,627 studies were screened manually. A total of 62 were selected after
reading the abstract and 44 articles were available for a full-text review. Next,
10 articles were excluded as per our exclusion criteria and 9 were excluded during
the data extraction. Finally, 25 studies were included in this review. The search
is described in [Fig. 1].
Fig. 1 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) flow
diagram for extramedullary intracranial plasmacytomas study selection.
Patient Baseline
A total of 84 patients from 25 studies were identified, of which 19 studies were case
reports and 6 case series, with years of publication varying from 1982 until 2022.
The average diagnostic patient's age was 57.25 (standard deviation [SD] 13.7), of
82/84 patients 57% were female and 43% were male, not showing a clear difference in
the sex proportion. Seventy-four of 84 locations were reported, in which the most
common locations found were clivus 22/74 (29.7%), frontal lobe 14/74 (18.9%), parietal
lobe 6/74 (8.1%), occipital lobe 5/74 (6.7%), temporal lobe 5/74 (6.7%), and sphenoid
3/74 (4%).
For 29/84 patients, related to the rare presentation, differential diagnosis was reported
during clinical investigation. The most related were chordoma (41.3%) and meningioma,
10 (34.5%). Kappa and lambda tumor presentations date were reported in 48/84, appearing
in a proportion of 71 and 29%, respectively. Detailed patient results are better detailed
in [Table 1].
Table 1
Patients' baseline characteristics and outcomes
|
Study
|
Year
|
Age
|
Sex
|
Localization
|
Type
|
Size
|
Differential diagnosis
|
Treatment
|
Follow-up
|
Outcome
|
|
Bin Waqar et al[10]
|
CR
|
2022
|
60
|
M
|
Clivus
|
L
|
3.3 × 3.2 × 3.5 cm
|
Chordoma, lymphoma, metastasis
|
QT + RT
|
NA
|
Alleviated initial symptoms - visual field improvement, resolution of anisocoria and
ptosis
|
|
Gallina et al[11]
|
CR
|
2004
|
64
|
F
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + QT + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
59
|
F
|
Parasagittal/dura
|
L
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Hogan et al[12]
|
CR
|
2002
|
39
|
M
|
Sphenoid
|
NA
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
NA
|
24 mo
|
Alleviated initial symptoms - right eye blind, left superior temporal quadrantanopia
|
|
Savas et al[13]
|
CR
|
1997
|
52
|
M
|
Parieto-occipital
|
K
|
11 × 9 cm
|
NA
|
QT
|
NA
|
Resolved
|
|
Wong et al[14]
|
CR
|
2006
|
63
|
F
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
Resolved
|
|
Lorberboym et al[15]
|
CR
|
1995
|
56
|
F
|
Sphenoid
|
K
|
NA
|
Chordoma, chondrosarcoma
|
SR + QT + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Alafaci et al[16]
|
CR
|
2014
|
65
|
M
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
Pituitary adenoma
|
QT + RT
|
6 mo
|
NA
|
|
Patel et al[17]
|
CR
|
2010
|
42
|
F
|
Occipital
|
L
|
6 × 4 cm
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
Resolved
|
|
Rahmah et al[18]
|
CR
|
2009
|
33
|
M
|
Occipital
|
NA
|
3.1 × 3.1 × 2.3 cm
|
Meningioma
|
SR + QT
|
12 mo
|
Death
|
|
Kashyap et al[19]
|
CR
|
2010
|
40
|
M
|
Clivus
|
K
|
4.0 × 2.5 cm
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
2 mo
|
Alleviated initial symptoms - resolved diplopia, decreased the
intensity of headaches
|
|
Bhattacharya et al[20]
|
CR
|
2014
|
30
|
F
|
Temporal
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
NA
|
Death, d/t septic shock
|
|
Sahin et al[21]
|
CR
|
2006
|
57
|
F
|
Temporal
|
K
|
2.2 × 2.6 cm
|
Meningioma
|
RT
|
NA
|
Resolved
|
|
Schwartz et al[22]
|
CS
|
2001
|
43
|
F
|
Petrous
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
55
|
F
|
Clivus
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
73
|
F
|
Petrous
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
49
|
M
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
54
|
F
|
Cranial base
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
82
|
F
|
Frontal
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
77
|
F
|
Falx cerebri
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
68
|
F
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
37
|
F
|
Temporal
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Ma et al[23]
|
CS
|
2019
|
59
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
45
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
35
|
M
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
42
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
56
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
54
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
58
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
47
|
F
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
68
|
M
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
64
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
47
|
F
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
73
|
F
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
55
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
50
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
54
|
F
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
57
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Meningioma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
69
|
F
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Squamous carcinoma
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Bindal et al[24]
|
CS
|
1995
|
51
|
F
|
Sphenoid
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
51
|
F
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
43
|
F
|
Falx cerebri
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
30
|
M
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
47
|
M
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
65
|
M
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
75
|
M
|
Posterior
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR + RT + QT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
82
|
F
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Wilberger and Prayson[25]
|
CS
|
2016
|
74
|
F
|
NA
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
37
|
F
|
Occipital
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
180 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
68
|
M
|
Cranial base
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
65
|
F
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
0.16 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
69
|
M
|
Frontal
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
120 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
72
|
M
|
Cranial base
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
48 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
44
|
F
|
Frontal
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
9 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
61
|
M
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
12 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
35
|
M
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
60 mo
|
Resolved
|
|
CS
|
71
|
F
|
Sella turcica
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
36 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
30
|
F
|
Medulla
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
48 mo
|
Resolved
|
|
CS
|
69
|
M
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
48 mo
|
Resolved
|
|
CS
|
66
|
F
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
1 mo
|
Death
|
|
CS
|
65
|
M
|
Parieto-occipital
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
3 mo
|
Resolved
|
|
Gagliardi et al[26]
|
CS
|
2013
|
50
|
F
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
Pituitary adenoma
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
68
|
M
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
57
|
M
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
Chordoma
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
53
|
F
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
Pituitary adenoma
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Cerase et al[27]
|
CS
|
2008
|
67
|
F
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
79
|
M
|
Frontal
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
72
|
M
|
Occipital
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
62
|
F
|
Clivus
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
80
|
F
|
Clivus
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
82
|
M
|
Cavernous sinus
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
CS
|
74
|
F
|
Diffuse
|
L
|
NA
|
NA
|
C
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Malhotra et al[28]
|
CR
|
2013
|
58
|
F
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
Death
|
|
69
|
F
|
Temporal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
NA
|
Death
|
|
67
|
F
|
Temporal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
C
|
NA
|
Death
|
|
79
|
M
|
Frontal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
SR
|
24 mo
|
Resolved
|
|
Anoop et al[29]
|
CR
|
2014
|
45
|
M
|
Parietal
|
NA
|
7.5 × 7.5 × 4.5 cm
|
Meningioma
|
RT
|
NA
|
Remission
|
|
Daghighi et al[30]
|
CR
|
2012
|
37
|
M
|
Posterior
|
NA
|
5.5 × 3.5 × 3.1 cm
|
Meningioma, lymphoma
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Kujat et al[31]
|
CR
|
1996
|
67
|
NA
|
Cerebellar
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
45
|
NA
|
NA
|
K
|
NA
|
NA
|
QT + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Rivas et al[32]
|
CR
|
1994
|
54
|
F
|
Frontal
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
36 mo
|
NA
|
|
45
|
M
|
Third ventricle
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
RT
|
36 mo
|
NA
|
|
Gregorio and Soyemi[33]
|
CR
|
2019
|
39
|
M
|
Parasellar
|
K
|
5.0 × 4.4 cm
|
MM
|
SR + RT
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Kumar et al[34]
|
CR
|
2019
|
59
|
F
|
Occipital
|
K
|
2.6 × 1.4 cm
|
Carcinomatosis
|
RT
|
NA
|
Resolved
|
Abbreviations: C, conservative; CR, case report; CS, case series; F, female; K, kappa;
L, lambda; M, male; MM, multiple myeloma; NA, not available; QT, chemotherapy; RT,
radiotherapy; SR, surgical resection.
Treatment and Outcomes
Treatment modalities in intracranial plasmacytomas reported in 63/84 studies of the
literature were radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy (QT), surgical resection (SR), and
conservative (C). The most common treatment combinations were SR + RT, used in 16/84
patients (19%), and 15/84 RT only (17.8%). Other treatment modalities were distributed
as 9/84 QT only (10.7%), 9/84 QT + RT (10.7%), 8/84 SR only (9.5%), and 3/84 SR + QT + RT
(3.5%). Also, two patients were treated conservatively.
Outcomes were reported in 27/84 studies, and mortality was presented in 13 (48%) of
these patients, of which 1 was not related directly to plasmacytoma, but due to septic
shock during hospitalization. Ten cases were resolved completely and 3 studies were
partial. One remission was seen in a patient treated by RT. The average follow-up
of 19/84 studies was 37.5 months (SD 43.8).
Discussion
EMIP represents a rare manifestation of plasma cell neoplasms, one of the notable
features of EMIP is its propensity to affect the central nervous system, leading to
distinct clinical presentations and diagnostic challenges, as shown in our sample.[2]
[4]
[5]
[7]
[8]
Based on our study, diagnosing EMIP cases is a complex task due to their exceptional
nature. As highlighted by Aguado et al,[5] the diagnosis is further complicated by the frequent loss of the ability to synthesize
fully functional immunoglobulins, resulting in the production of only light chains
or even nonsecretory cases. However, certain diagnostic criteria can be established
based on multiple investigations, including radiological, hematological, biochemical,
and histological assessments.[2]
[8]
[11] Radiologically, EMIP often presents as enhancing masses on imaging studies, with
variable contrast enhancement patterns and a predilection for specific anatomical
locations, such as the skull base, dura mater, or cranial nerves. Additionally, EMIP
can manifest as isolated lesions or as part of a broader systemic disease spectrum.
Distinguishing between primary EMIP and secondary involvement in the setting of MM
is essential for guiding treatment decisions and predicting overall outcomes.[19]
[20]
[35] The difficulty in diagnosing EMIP, coupled with its rarity, justifies the limited
availability of robust treatment and radiographic data. Nevertheless, our study reveals
a correlation between specific treatments and their outcomes.
Regarding prognosis, our study shows that EMIP is heterogeneous, influenced by factors
such as patient age, overall health, tumor size, and response to treatment.[15] Challenges arise in achieving complete SR due to the intricate anatomical locations
often involved. According to Mendenhall et al,[6] QT does not improve survival in EMIP cases, our study showed that most cases analyzed
were resolved through a combination of SR and RT or RT alone. Analyzing the 12 reported
deaths after treatment (studies 9, 16, 19), we observed that one case (8.3%) was treated
with SR + QT, six cases (50%) with QT alone, two cases (16.6%) with RT alone, one
case (8.3%) with QT + RT, one case (8.3%) with SR alone, and one case (8.3%) with
C. The literature suggests that QT alone is not the optimal solution for EMIP cases.
Among the 10 studies with complete data (studies 4, 5, 8, 12, 16, 19, and 25 in [Table 1]), only one case (10%) achieved complete resolution after QT treatment. The most
successful approaches were RT alone in three cases (30%), QT + RT in three cases (30%),
SR alone in one case (10%), and SR + RT in one case (10%). However, one case out of
the 10 studies was not cited (study 25). While the best treatment for EMIP remains
unclear,[2]
[6]
[8] our findings indicate that RT is the most commonly used treatment, with SR considered
for localized EMIP cases.
The relationship between MM and EMIP has remained unclear since 1979, only through
meticulous studies of each patient with plasma cell dysplasia can we gather the necessary
information to understand better the nature of plasma cell tumors and their potential
connections.[7]
[36]
[37] Currently, studies are ongoing to determine whether the pathophysiology of SBP is
the same as that of plasmacytomas occurring in MM and whether there are differences
in treatment approaches.[20]
[27]
[38]
[39] Focal RT, often in combination with dexamethasone, is the treatment of choice for
local control, particularly in emerging situations.[5] Additionally, lenalidomide has shown promising results in inducing rapid responses
in patients with EMIP. The combination of RT, dexamethasone, and lenalidomide has
demonstrated increased efficacy and safety in specific clinical settings, as supported
by the literature.[5]
As previously mentioned, RT in combination with other treatments is the most used
option in the literature ([Table 1]), accounting for 43 out of 84 cases (51%). It is noteworthy that among the 12 deaths
reported after treatment, 3 occurred following an RT intervention (25%). These data
further strengthen the efficacy of RT in EMIP cases. As reported by et al,[35]
[40] four patients underwent RT and surpassed the 3-year survival mark. Additionally,
one patient received a treatment regimen consisting of intrathecal injection of dexamethasone
(10 mg) and cytarabine (50 mg), followed by a combination QT with Velcade, and subsequent
RT, resulting in a survival period exceeding 18 months post the onset of head EMIP.
It appears that the inclusion of Velcade in combination with QT, along with RT, could
potentially extend survival rates.[35] The role of RT is pivotal in the management of EMIP contributing to both local disease
control and potential systemic effects. Despite therapeutic advances, recurrences
are not uncommon, underscoring the importance of long-term follow-up and continued
vigilance in monitoring patients for signs of disease persistence or progression.
Collaboration between neurosurgeons, hematologists, and radiation oncologists is crucial
for optimizing treatment strategies and enhancing patient outcomes.[35]
[38]
[40]
Histopathologically, EMIP shares commonalities with other plasma cell disorders, revealing
monoclonal plasma cell infiltration and the potential for amyloid deposition.[10] Immunohistochemical staining, particularly for plasma cell markers such as CD138
and kappa or lambda light chains, is instrumental in confirming the diagnosis and
differentiating EMIP from other intracranial lesions, as mentioned by some previous
authors.[9] Although kappa and lambda levels may serve as serum markers of EMIP, it is not safe
to draw definitive prognostic conclusions based solely on their levels.[9]
[10]
[24] In Schols and Tick's study,[9] despite an increase in immunoglobulin A lambda levels, no organs were affected in
their case. However, Ahnach et al[2] reported an association between illness progression and lambda levels in EMIP cases,
showing a divergence among the studies presented in the literature.
Limitations
This study has limitations. EMIP is a rare presentation of plasmacytoma, the plenty
of information about this topic is limited, but it was neatly sidestepped for our
data synthesis and careful search, besides that, the coming studies can explore and
report the molecular level as kappa and lambda of EMIP cases or differential diagnosis,
it would contribute to make new comparisons and investigate more deeply possible differences
and/or similarities.
Conclusion
Based on our comprehensive literature review of EMIPs, several key findings emerge.
The predominant site for EMIP occurrence appears to be the clivus, accounting for
29.7% of the EMIP cases examined in the literature. Chordomas, which happen to be
the most common differential diagnosis, were frequently observed in conjunction with
EMIPs.
In terms of treatment modalities, RT emerged as the most employed approach for managing
EMIP tumors. When feasible, based on tumor size and localization, SR was also considered.
Notably, RT alone (30%) was the most effective intervention. Conversely, QT as the
sole management option demonstrated lower efficacy compared to RT. However, a combination
of dexamethasone, lenalidomide, and targeted RT exhibited more promising results,
demonstrating improved tumor response while maintaining a higher level of safety.