Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2012 , Vol 58 , Num 3

Dermatomyositis Associated With Breast Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Kazım Şenel 1 ,Tuba Baykal 2 ,Sibel Okur 3 ,Meltem Alkan Melikoğlu 2 ,Mehmet Melikoğlu 4 ,Mahir Uğur 2
1 Atatürk Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Erzurum
2 Ataturk Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Erzurum, Türkiye
3 Atatürk Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Erzurum, Türkiye
4 Erzurum Regional Education and Research Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Health Ministry, Erzurum, Turkey
DOI : 10.4274/tftr.91668

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a connective tissue disease characterized by specific inflammatory lesions in muscle biopsy. An increased risk of underlying malignancy has been found in patients with DM. The common cancers associated with DM include ovarian cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, stomach cancer and breast cancer. The association between DM and breast cancer has not been fully evaluated. We present the case of a 58-year-old female patient with DM diagnosed to be suffering from breast cancer. A literature review revealed that the association of dermatomyositis with breast cancer is rare and consistent with poor prognosis. 

Keywords : Dermatomyositis; breast cancer