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Review
. 2020 Mar 21;21(6):2178.
doi: 10.3390/ijms21062178.

Paraneoplastic Dermatoses: A Brief General Review and an Extensive Analysis of Paraneoplastic Pemphigus and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis

Dario Didona  1 , Luca Fania  2 , Biagio Didona  3 , Rüdiger Eming  1 , Michael Hertl  1 , Giovanni Di Zenzo  4
Affiliations
Review

Paraneoplastic Dermatoses: A Brief General Review and an Extensive Analysis of Paraneoplastic Pemphigus and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis

Dario Didona et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Skin manifestations of systemic disease and malignancy are extremely polymorphous. Clinicians should be familiarized with paraneoplastic dermatoses in order to perform an early diagnosis of the underlying neoplasm. Lack of familiarity with cutaneous clues of internal malignancy may delay diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this review, we described several paraneoplastic dermatoses and discussed extensively two paradigmatic ones, namely paraneoplastic pemphigus and paraneoplastic dermatomyositis.

Keywords: diagnosis; neoplasia; paraneoplastic dermatomyositis; paraneoplastic dermatoses; paraneoplastic pemphigus; skin features.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Necrolytic migratory erythema. Obligate paraneoplastic dermatosis associated with glucagonoma. Vesicles, erosions, crusts, and pustules arise at the periphery. The lesions enlarge in annular pattern, leaving pigmentation in the central area.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sweet syndrome. Facultative paraneoplastic dermatosis characterized by multiple painful, sharply circumscribed dark red edematous nodules. It is usually associated with myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Paraneoplastic pemphigus (oral lesion). Obligate paraneoplastic dermatosis characterized by painful mouth ulcerations. It is usually associated with myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Paraneoplastic pemphigus (lichenoid lesions). Lichenoid lesions on the mons pubis. These kinds of lesions are rare in adults, but they are more often seen in children affected by paraneoplastic pemphigus.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis (Gottron’s papules). Slightly elevated, purplish lesions on an erythematous background over bony prominences, mainly on the metacarpophalangeal, interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joints.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis (V-sign). Erythematous maculopapular rash of the V area of upper chest.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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