[Dermatomyositis/polymyositis associated with head and neck malignancy].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the relation between dermatomyositis/polymyositis and head-neck malignancy.

METHOD: All 136 cases of dermatomyositis/polymyositis admitted to PUMCH during 10 years (1994-2003) were studied. The clinical features of 6 patients with an associated head-neck malignancy were analyzed.

RESULT: There were 17 cases of malignancy in 136 patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis, of which, 6 cases (6/17, 35.29%) were found to have head-neck malignancy: 4 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 1 case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 1 case of hypopharynx carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma represents the first neoplasm among head-neck malignancy associated with dermatomyositis/polymyositis. Nasal endoscopic and/or fibrolaryngoscopic search for potential head-neck malignancy should be performed in every patient with dermatomyositis/polymyositis.