[A review of paraneoplastic rheumatic syndromes]

Abstract

Malignant neoplasms are sometimes associated with a variety of paraneoplastic rheumatic syndromes. The most frequently diagnosed ones include hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, polyarthritis, dermatomyositis/polymyositis, and paraneoplastic vasculitis. Fasciitis, panniculitis, erythema nodosum, lupus-like syndrome, and Raynaud's syndrome are rare. Rheumatic manifestations of cancer are sometimes indistinguishable from idiopathic rheumatic disease. Hence, the neoplasm is not discovered because it is masked by another disease implicating improper therapeutic decisions and worsening the prognosis. The aim of this work was to review the literature on paraneoplastic rheumatic syndromes.