Hyperammonemia, an under-recognized
complication and adverse prognostic marker
in Multiple Myeloma

• Authors: Aleksander L. Chojecki , Mecide Gharibo , Michael J. Styler
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Hyperammonemia, a well-known complication
of liver failure causing encephalopathy, has rarely been
reported as a complication of multiple myeloma. We
report four additional cases of hyperammonemia in
patients with treatment refractory multiple myeloma. In
these cases, we found that hyperammonemia remains a
morbid complication of resistant disease without directed
myeloma therapy. Our brief review has reaffirmed that
hyperammonemia is a poor prognostic marker in myeloma
with an undetermined mechanism. This complication’s poor
response to traditional therapies, including rifaximin and
lactulose, prompts our discussion urging early recognition
and myeloma directed therapy. Clinical observations may
support that proteasome inhibitors may be most effective in
the treatment of these patients.

Keywords

EN

Hyperammonemia; Refractory Myeloma; Encephalopathy; Early Recognition

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Cell death in therapy
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 1

Dates

accepted

10 - 9 - 2015

received

16 - 5 - 2015

online

6 - 1 - 2016

Contributors

author

Aleksander L. Chojecki

• Hematology/
  Oncology Fellow, Department of Hematology & Oncology, Rutgers
  Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 125 Paterson Street, Suite
  5200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901,

author

Mecide Gharibo

• Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of
  Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little
  Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

author

Michael J. Styler

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division Chief
  and Program Director Hematology & Oncology, Drexel University
  College of Medicine, 230 North Broad Street, 15th Floor South Tower
  Philadelphia, PA 19102

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Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/cdth-2015-0003