Dermatomyositis as a symptom of primary lung cancer: A case report and review of the literature

Dermatomyositis Associated with Lung Cancer: A Brief Review of the Current Literature and Retrospective Single Institution Experience

Dermatomyositis is a rare inflammatory myopathy that is often related to lung cancer. In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed data from patients diagnosed with lung cancer at Soroka University Medical Center between January 2017 and July 2021. A total of 689 patients with lung cancer were included in this study, 97 of whom had small cell lung cancer and 592 had non-small cell lung cancer. We identified a single patient (60-year-old female) who presented with signs and symptoms of dermatomyositis, which was later confirmed to be associated with lung cancer as a paraneoplastic syndrome. Both our study and a recent review of the literature illustrate the temporal link between dermatomyositis and lung cancer, as well as reinforce the need for heightened cancer screenings in DM patients.

Lung cancer with dermatomyositis as the initial diagnosis: A case report

It is well-known that dermatomyositis (DM) is associated with a variety of malignancies, and the cancer-specific mortality rate is high among patients who develop paraneoplastic DM. Paraneoplastic syndromes are described in ~10-25% of adult patients with DM. Although paraneoplastic syndromes are associated with various malignancies, the most common is lung cancer, with different histological types of lung cancer being associated with different paraneoplastic syndromes. We herein report the case of a patient with lung cancer and DM, aiming to provide a useful guide to diagnosis and treatment by improving the understanding of these diseases for clinicians. Early detection, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial for prolonging patient survival.

Dermatomyositis associated with adenocarcinoma of the lung: A case report

The association of dermatomyositis and underlying malignancies, especially small cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, has been recognized a long time ago. We report the case of a 63-year-old male chronic smoker with adenocarcinoma lung associated with dermatomyositis. The occurrence of dermatomyositis should be considered as a potential presentation of paraneoplastic syndromes and physicians encountering similar clinical situations should perform extensive diagnostic work-up to exclude underlying neoplastic lesions.

Ground-glass opacity heralding invasive lung adenocarcinoma with prodromal dermatomyositis: a case report

Background

Dermatomyositis, an inflammatory myopathy with cutaneous involvement, is associated with malignancy and often manifests paraneoplastically. While co-occurrence with small cell carcinoma is well attested, primary lung adenocarcinoma, which may present as focal ground-glass opacification on computed tomography of the thorax, is less frequently coincident.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 72-year-old female patient with dermatomyositis — treated with a combination of prednisone, methotrexate, and intravenous immunoglobulin — and an indolent, subsolid, non-hypermetabolic pulmonary lesion, which was determined to be invasive primary lung adenocarcinoma. Supporting a paraneoplastic basis, immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued following tumor excision without relapse of signs or symptoms of dermatomyositis.

Conclusions

While dermatomyositis prodromal to lung adenocarcinoma is not without precedent, association with an indolent, subsolid lesion has, to the best of our knowledge, not been reported. The case described herein illustrates the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for malignancy in the setting of dermatomyositis.