A case of dermatomyositis associated with mechanic's hand

A 67-year-old man was referred to the Department of Internal Medicine at Tokyo Medical University with interstitial pneumonia in July 1999. He presented with keratotic plaques on both palsm and on the ventral and lateral sides of his fingers. Erythematous keratosis was observed on the dosal aspect of his fingers and metatarsophalangeal (MP) joints. Edematous erythema was seen on the patient's chest, back, and the extensor surfaces of his arms. Electromyography revealed a myogenic pattern and an increased level of myogenic enzymes was found in the blood. Histological findings of the ventral sides of his fingers showed hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis of the dermal tissue and liquefaction degeneration of the basal layer at the papilla. Based on these findings, the patient was given a diagnosis of dermatomyositis associated with mechanic's hand. A systemic examination confirmed interstitial pneumonia and carcinoma of the duodenal papilla. Mechanic's hand is a type of dermatitis associated with myopathy first reported by Stahl et al. in patients with collagen disease. We report herein the first documented case of mechanic's hand in Asians.