Dermatology Reports (Jul 2021)

Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis and prostate cancer: myopathy regression under cancer-directed therapy

  • Mafalda Miranda Baleiras,
  • Luís Maduro,
  • Carolina Vasques,
  • Filipa Ferreira,
  • Marta Mesquita Pinto,
  • Ana Martins

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/dr.2021.9262

Abstract

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Prostate cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in men worldwide and the fifth leading cause of death. Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare idiopathic inflammatory myopathy characterized by musculocutaneous manifestations. However, DM can also present as a paraneoplastic syndrome of an underlying neoplasm. We report a case of a 65-year-old man diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma in the setting of severe dysphagia, muscle weakness and a facial erythematous rash. At first, the DM-related symptoms resolved with the initial treatment for the underlying malignancy. Yet, they flared up as the tumor progressed. To sum up, DM is a rare systemic disorder with unknown etiology. There is a well-established association between DM and malignancy. Malignancy-headed therapy can improve DM manifestations and the recurrence of DM symptoms may act as an early warning of malignancy relapse.