A case of systemic anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with hypereosinophilia, granulomatous myositis and vasculitis

Paraneoplastic disorders associated with miscellaneous neoplasms with focus on selected soft tissue and Undifferentiated/ rhabdoid malignancies

A variety of soft tissue and visceral neoplasms have been associated with constitutional symptoms and signs including fever, fatigue, arthritis and laboratory abnormalities such as elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis with marked neutrophilia, anemia, thrombocytosis and others. This review addresses three main neoplastic categories that are associated with specific paraneoplastic phenomena: (1) neoplasms having in common the presence of diffuse mixed inflammatory infiltration (closely simulating an inflammatory pseudotumor) and frequently associated with constitutional symptoms; (2) neoplasms with undifferentiated, anaplastic or rhabdoid cell morphology (frequently SWI/SNF-deficient) associated with diverse paraneoplastic manifestations; and (3) paraneoplasia associated with neoplasms carrying specific gene fusions such as solitary fibrous tumor (STAT6-NAB2 gene fusions), infantile fibrosarcoma and congenital mesoblastic nephroma (ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusions), and angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (EWSR1-CREB1 & EWSR1-ATF1 fusions).

Diagnosis and classification of granulomatous myositis

The term granulomatous myositis is applied to a myopathic syndrome associated with non-specific epithelioid granulomas in striated muscle. This rare entity is most frequently related to sarcoidosis, but other uncommon causes have been reported, including an idiopathic form only after systemic disorders known to cause similar myopathological abnormalities have been excluded. Symmetrical proximal or distal muscle weakness is the rule in the clinical presentation, sometimes associated with dysphagia. Although the clinical profile together with electromyography (EMG) studies may be useful, definite diagnosis requires pathological examination. Systemic glucocorticoids are the treatment of choice, but the clinical outcome is not always satisfactory.