Lohit Kumar Kalita1, Bhubaneswar Saikia2
INTRODUCTION
Bone disease is a hallmark of multiple myeloma, presenting as lytic lesions associated with bone pain, pathological fractures requiring surgery and/or radiation to bone, spinal cord compression and hypercalcaemia. Increased osteoclastic activity unaccompanied by a compensatory increase in osteoblast function, leading to enhanced bone resorption results in bone disease. The interaction of plasma cells with the bone marrow microenvironment has been shown to play a vital role. Also, interactions of myeloma cells with osteoclasts enhance myeloma growth and survival, and thereby create a vicious cycle leading to extensive bone destruction and myeloma cell expansion.