Identification of Metastatic Lesions in a Patient With Low Back Pain Following a Motor Vehicle Collision.

Abstract

A 58-year-old man was referred to physical therapy with a primary complaint of intermittent low back pain (LBP) 2 weeks after being in a motor vehicle collision. The absence of red flags justified the initiation of treatment, but when symptoms of unrelenting LBP emerged, he was referred to his primary care physician with a request for further medical workup. Before further imaging work-up was performed, the patient presented to the emergency room with a urinary complaint; this, in combination with unrelenting LBP, prompted further imaging follow-up. Lumbar/thoracic spine magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple compression fractures and diffuse bone marrow heterogeneity consistent with a malignant infiltrative marrow process. The patient underwent additional laboratory testing and a bone marrow aspirate and biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma.