Dermatomyositis Induced by Hepatitis B Virus-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 56; no. 14; pp. 1831 - 1837
• Main Authors: Chou, Jen-Wei, Lin, Yin-Lan, Cheng, Ken-Sheng, Wu, Po-Yuan, Ju, Teressa Reanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2017; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Alcoholism; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antiviral agents; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - complications; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - physiopathology; Case Report; Computed tomography; Dermatomyositis; Dermatomyositis - diagnosis; Dermatomyositis - drug therapy; Dermatomyositis - etiology; Disease Progression; Drug abuse; Dysphagia; Electromyography; Exanthema; Fatalities; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic - complications; hepatitis C virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Humans; Inflammation; Internal medicine; Literature reviews; Liver; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - complications; Liver Neoplasms - physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Myopathy; Paraneoplastic syndrome; Paraneoplastic Syndromes - drug therapy; Paraneoplastic Syndromes - etiology; Polymyositis; Prednisolone; Prednisolone - therapeutic use; Skin; Treatment Outcome; Tumors; Viruses; hepatitis C virus; polymyositis; dermatomyositis; hepatitis B virus; hepatocellular carcinoma; paraneoplastic syndrome
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.56.7595

Dermatomyositis or polymyositis as a paraneoplastic syndrome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an uncommon event. Few cases have been reported in the literature. We herein report the case of a 55-year-old man with chronic hepatitis B and alcoholism who presented with skin rash. Abdominal computed tomography revealed multiple hypervascular liver tumors consistent with HCC. He subsequently developed dysphagia with proximal limb weakness. Laboratory tests and electromyography demonstrated inflammatory myopathy. We therefore diagnosed the patient with HCC-induced dermatomyositis. Prednisolone and anti-viral therapy were administered; however, the patient died two months later due to the progression of the disease. We review the cases of HCC-induced dermatomyositis and polymyositis in the literature.