Polyarteritis nodosa associated with gastric carcinoma and hepatitis B virus infection.

Several cases of polyarteritis nodosa associated with malignant disorders have been reported, most with bone marrow-related tumors. We report polyarteritis nodosa presenting with a fever of unknown origin and muscle weakness that was complicated by advanced gastric carcinoma and hepatitis B virus-positive cirrhosis. Vasculitis was diagnosed after gastrectomy from histologic findings of arterial vasculitis on the resected gastric carcinoma. Our case is so far the second such report of polyarteritis nodosa associated with gastric cancer.