A series of 21 patients with IgD myeloma was studied retrospectively, to assess which parameter present at the time of diagnosis was of prognostic importance for survival and whether the clinical staging system of Durie and Salmon had predictive value for the survival time of these patients. Survival time did not appear to be correlated with haemoglobin concentration, thrombocytopenia, initial level of M-protein, amount of Bence-Jones proteinuria, hypercalcaemia, serum creatinine level, presence of osteolytic lesions or hepatosplenomegaly. Neither did the staging system of Durie and Salmon predict the survival time. It is concluded that clinical staging is of limited value in the management and prediction of the survival time of IgD myeloma patients.