Plasmacytoma of the mandible associated with a dental implant failure: a clinical report

The case report of a patient is presented who had been suffering from a plasmacytoma of the spine several years back, and who had developed a new plasmacytoma of the mandible, 3 years subsequent to the insertion of a dental implant. This second solitary lesion occurred 15 years after the first one, and without signs of conversion to multiple myeloma. Research in animal models has shown multinucleated giant cells, belonging to the monocyte-macrophage lineage, persisting between the titanium surface and the lymphohemopoietic compartment, at least 1.5 years after implant insertion. Factors that increase the proliferative activity of precursor B cells, for example a protracted macrophage activation, are likely to increase the risk of B cell oncogenesis. A possible role of the titanium surface in an increase of precursor B cell proliferative activity, thus facilitating a new localization, was evaluated.