Dermatomyositis paraneoplastic syndrome before symptomatic tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma: A case report. Issue 1 (27th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Adi, Ahmad H.; Alturkmani, Hani; Spock, Todd; Williams Yohannes, Patrice; Wargo, Susannah; Szabo, Eva; Gutkind, J. Silvio; Van Waes, Carter; Andersen, Peter
• Is Part Of: Head & neck. Volume 37:Issue 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: E1
• Page End: E3
• Publication Date: 2014-06-27
• Subjects: Head -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neck -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Head -- Periodicals; Neck -- Periodicals; Face -- Periodicals; 617.51059
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.23703
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1043-3074

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="hed23703-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Paraneoplastic syndromes are systemic or organ‐related functional tumor‐associated changes that arise distant to the tumor.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23703-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods and Results</title> <p>We present a rare case of a 63‐year‐old man with dermatomyositis as a paraneoplastic syndrome developing more than a year before clinical manifestations of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). He subsequently developed stage T1N2bM0 IVA tonsillar SCC. He was treated on a research protocol with 3 weeks of neoadjuvant rapamycin therapy before right transoral lateral pharyngectomy and modified radical neck dissection with preservation of CN XI. His symptoms of dermatomyositis subsequently improved and he was weaned off immunosuppressive therapy.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23703-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first report of dermatomyositis as a paraneoplastic syndrome of tonsillar SCC in North America. We suggest that clinicians should monitor for signs of persistent or recurrent dermatomyositis symptoms as this may herald development or a return of the underlying malignancy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. <italic>Head Neck</italic><bold>37</bold>: E1–E3, 2015</p> </sec> </abstract>