Two fatal cases of dermatomyositis and ovarian cancer

Dermatomyositis (DM) is known to be associated with an increased incidence of internal malignancies. Initial diagnosis is often made by dermatologists because of distinctive skin signs of this serious disease. Ovarian cancer is the second most common and the leading cause of death from gynaecologic malignancies in Australia. Seventy percent of patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. We present two cases to highlight the importance of a proactive approach to the management of ovarian cancer in adult female DM patients.