An 11-year review of dermatomyositis in Asian patients.

INTRODUCTION: Dermatomyositis (DM) is a multisystem inflammatory disease with a strong association with malignancy. We aimed to describe a series of Asian patients with DM and identify any significant clinical factors associated with malignancy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of a multi-racial cohort of 69 Asian patients diagnosed with DM over an 11-year period from 1996 to 2006.

RESULTS: Malignancy was detected in 15 out of 68 patients (22%), the most common of which was nasopharyngeal carcinoma (7 cases). Compared to the non-malignancy group, the malignancy-associated group was older and had more male patients. There were no statistically significant clinical, serological or laboratory factors associated with a higher risk of malignancy.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of ongoing malignancy screening especially for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Asian patients with DM.