Plasmacytoma of the eye and orbit.

Background: Plasmacytomas of the ocular and adnexal tissue are rare. The variation in their clinical manifestations and potential association with multiple myeloma are not well appreciated.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical features and laboratory data of five cases of plasmacytoma involving the eye and orbit.

Results: Plasmacytomas involved the conjunctiva in one case, the orbit in three cases, and the iris in one case. Plasmacytoma was the solitary plasma cell neoplasm in a patient with a conjunctival lesion and another patient with an orbital lesion. Two other patients who developed plasmacytomas of the orbit and iris, respectively, had a known history of multiple myeloma. An orbital plasmacytoma preceded the onset of systemic plasma cell neoplasia in the final patient.

Conclusion: Plasmacytomas of the eye and orbit are rare. They may or may not be associated with multiple myeloma.