| Abstract |
The association of malignancy with collagen diseases is not fully understood especially in systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, scleroderma-like symptoms as a paraneoplastic syndrome may be seen as a very rare disease.The case is here presented of a 43-year-old female with Raynaud phenomenon, ocular myasthenia and a history of papillary thyroid carcinoma. From the history, it was learned that the first symptom of drooping eyelids was seen 19 years previously, after which she was diagnosed with ocular myasthenia due to thyroid papillary carcinoma. The patient used to take Pyridostigmine 60 mg 1x4/day and L-Thyroxine 100 mcg 1x1/day. In the physical examination there was tightness of the skin in the distal fingers, Raynaud phenomenon, and sclerosis of the perioral area which had begun contemporary with the thyroid carcinoma. Laboratory tests showed negative extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (ENA panel). No symptoms of pulmonary, renal or gastrointestinal involvement compatible with SSc were determined. This concomitance of cancer and sclerodermiform syndrome suggested that the scleroderma might have a paraneoplastic origin. The close temporal relationship between sclerodermiform syndrome onset and thyroid papillar carcinoma diagnosis is highly suggestive of a pathophysiological link. Paraneoplastic rheumatism remains a rare event, but knowledge of it is essential for early diagnosis of underlying cancer.
KEYWORDS: Paraneoplastic, Scleroderma, Thyroid carcinoma
|
