Paraneoplastic arthritis: a series of 92 cases

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 Sep 21:kead500. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead500. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Objectives: Paraneoplastic arthritis (PA) is one of the paraneoplastic syndromes. Both laboratory and clinical findings similar to rheumatological diseases can be seen. In this study, we aimed to present the clinical and laboratory findings, malignancy type, and pathological diagnoses of patients with paraneoplastic arthritis.

Methods: In a multicentre retrospective study, 92 patients with PA from the last 10 years were included in the study.

Results: Patients with PA and hematological malignancies detected the highest ratio of lymphomas (25,6%). The most common cancer detected in patients with solid malignancy and PA was lung cancer (41.5%). All malignant patients with PA had significant Anti-CCP positivity compared with the healthy control group (P= 0.014).

Conclusion: As a result, although PA is a rare condition, it can be confused with many rheumatological diseases. The most commonly involved joint is the knee joint, followed by the ankle and hand-wrist. Autoantibody negativity, high LDH level, and arthritis unresponsive to treatment constitute important clues for diagnosis.

Keywords: hematological malignancy; malignancy; paraneoplastic arthritis; solid tumours.