Polymyalgia rheumatica and pulmonary adenocarcinoma: A case report and literature review

Porto Biomed J. 2017 May-Jun;2(3):93-95. doi: 10.1016/j.pbj.2017.01.007. Epub 2017 Feb 22.

Abstract

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory rheumatologic condition that occurs frequently in the elderly. It has been, although infrequently, associated with malignancies, in a synchronous or closely time-related appearance. In such circumstances, polymyalgia rheumatica is considered to be a paraneoplastic syndrome and is often atypical in presentation with poor response to glucocorticoid treatment. We report the case of a 79-year-old woman in which the simultaneous diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica and lung adenocarcinoma was made. Rheumatologic symptoms responded partially to anti-inflammatory medication, with further response to lung cancer targeted chemotherapy.

Keywords: Adenocarcinoma; Lung neoplasms; Paraneoplastic syndromes; Polymyalgia rheumatica.