Newly diagnosed dermatomyositis in the elderly as predictor of malignancy

Dermatomyositis (DM) symptoms may be a clue to the existence of a hidden cancer. Enhancing early detection is essential, but there are no studies evaluating short-term predictive factors in this disease.

This is a single-center retrospective study, including patients diagnosed with DM meeting at least four of the five Bohan and Peter's criteria (1975), from 1991 to 2011. This study assessed malignancies occurring in up to 12 months after the diagnosis of DM.

Neoplasm was found in 12 out of 139 patients (skin, gastrointestinal tract, prostate, thyroid, breast, lungs, and genitourinary tract). Patients with neoplasm had a higher mean age than controls (56.8 ± 15.7 vs. 40.3 ± 13.1 years, respectively, P = 0.004, odds ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.14). No statistical differences were observed regarding gender, ethnicity, frequency of constitutional symptoms, organ and systemic involvements, and/or laboratory alterations.

In newly diagnosed DM, age at disease diagnosis was a predictive factor of malignancy.