Dermatomyositis and rectal cancer: case study and literature review

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.