Dermatomyositis and rectal cancer: case study and literature review

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 33; p. 122
• Main Authors: Ouahbi, Hajar, Benhami, Meriem, Nouikh, Lamiae, Acharfi, Nissrine, Kelati, Awatef, Oualla, Karima, Benbrahim, Zineb, Elmrabet, Fatima Zahra, Arifi, Samia, Mernissi, Fatimazohra, Mellas, Nawfel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: Uganda 2019
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Aged; Biopsy; Dermatomyositis - diagnosis; Dermatomyositis - etiology; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Multiple Organ Failure - etiology; Paraneoplastic Syndromes - diagnosis; Paraneoplastic Syndromes - etiology; Rectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Rectal Neoplasms - pathology; chemotherapy; anatomopathology; Dermatomyositis; rectal cancer
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2019.33.122.14509

Dermatomyositis is a systemic idiopathic disease characterized by a combination of both muscle and skin symptoms. It is a paraneoplastic dermatosis. Its association with rectal cancer has been rarely described in the literature. We here report the case of a female patient with paraneoplastic dermatomyositis associated with metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma presenting with clinical symptoms commonly found in subjects with paraneoplastic dermatomyositis. Other complementary examinations (CPK test + EMG + skin biopsy) were performed which confirmed this diagnosis. The patient underwent chemotherapy, but after the second cycle, she experienced a rapid worsening of her general condition and died after some days in a state of multisystem organ failure. This study aims to highlight paraneoplastic dermatomyositis' aggressive nature and to update current knowledge on the importance of chemotherapy in the management of neoplastic dermatomyositis.