Dermatomyositis complicating hepatocellular cacinoma in an elderly woman: A case of report.

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A 80-year-old female had been followed for chronic hepatitis, hypertension and diabetes mellitus since 1973. In January 1987, transcatheter arterial embolization was performed for liver cancer. She was admitted to our hospital because of muscular weakness in March. Dermatomyositis complicating hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed by laboratory test, physical findings and skin biopsy. Although the symptoms of dermatomyositis improved with steroid pulse therapy, she died of hepatic failure in February 1988. The autopsy revealed massive hepatocellular carcinoma and dermatomyositis was demonstrated by histological examination of the rectus abdominis muscle.<BR>This case was a rare case where dermatomyositis was occurred in an elderly patient concurrently with hepatocellular carcinoma. Both viral infection and autoimmunity have been hypothesized to have a role in the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis, and in our patient the depression of cellularimmunity produced by her advanced cancer seems to have played an important role.