[Polymyalgia rheumatica and malignant neoplasms. A report of 3 cases].

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease which mainly affects elderly patients and is highly responsive to steroid therapy. PMR can be associated with giant cell arteritis and, less frequently, with malignancy. The authors describe three cases of paraneoplastic PMR. In one patient PMR has been the initial manifestation of a B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in two of a malignant neoplasm of the gastrointestinal system. In two patients the response to steroid therapy was documented. A careful clinical evaluation and a long term follow-up is needed before considering PMR an idiopathic disease.