Plasma Cell Neoplasms

Dr. Linden is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematopathology within the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. In addition, he is the Assistant Director of the Special Hematology Laboratory. As a graduate student, Dr. Linden’s thesis work helped develop a new mouse model of multiple myeloma. Dr. Linden completed residency and fellowship training in Hematopathology at the University of Washington. He now attends on the University of Minnesota Medical Center’s Hematopathology and Flow Cytometry services. Dr. Linden continues to have a strong interest in plasma cell and other hematopoietic neoplasms and enjoys research that applies his clinical skills to improving clinical laboratory diagnoses and predicting clinical outcomes. More specifically, he is investigating optimum diagnostic methods for monitoring residual disease in myeloma patients and developing diagnostic tests to predict chemotherapeutic sensitivity of the neoplastic plasma cells. In addition, he greatly values resident/fellow education and mentorship.

• Introduction.- Protein studies.- Electrophoresis and immunofixation.- Serum free light chain analysis.- Morphology and immunohistochemistry of normal and neoplastic plasma cells.- Classification of plasma cell neoplasms.- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.- Plasma cell myeloma.- Plasmacytoma – solitary and extraosseus.- Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition diseases.- Cytogenetics.- Flow cytometry.- Integration of laboratory and clinical data into synoptic report.- Approaches to treatment, including stem cell transplant.- Conclusions.- References.