An 11-year review of dermatomyositis in Asian patients
Liu, W.C.; Ho, M.; Koh, W.-P.; Tan, A.W.H.; Ng, P.P.L.; Chua, S.H.; Tan, S.H.; Tang, M.B.Y.
Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore 39(11): 843-847
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0304-4602 PMID: 21165524 Document Number: 639656
Dermatomyositis (DM) is a multisystem inflammatory disease with a strong association with malignancy. We aimed to describe a series of Asian patients with DM and identify any significant clinical factors associated with malignancy. This was a retrospective review of a multi-racial cohort of 69 Asian patients diagnosed with DM over an 11-year period from 1996 to 2006. Malignancy was detected in 15 out of 68 patients (22%), the most common of which was nasopharyngeal carcinoma (7 cases). Compared to the non-malignancy group, the malignancy-associated group was older and had more male patients. There were no statistically significant clinical, serological or laboratory factors associated with a higher risk of malignancy. This study highlights the importance of ongoing malignancy screening especially for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Asian patients with DM.