There is a well-known link between cancer and dermatomyositis, although there have been very few reports of a link between thyroid cancer and dermatomyositis. In this paper, researchers present a recent case of dermatomyositis that was discovered to be thyroid cancer during screening and analyze the clinical characteristics of comparable cases in the literature. There includes a description of the case history, therapy responses, and follow-up data. A 35-year-old man came with symptoms that included a face rash, generalized myalgia, muscular weakness, and dysphagia. Based on clinical symptoms, laboratory, electromyography, and imaging data, the patient was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, and immunosuppressive therapy was started. A papillary thyroid carcinoma was discovered during a cancer screening. Thyroidectomy was done, and immunosuppressive medication was gradually reduced and then discontinued. The patient is still in remission 24 months after being diagnosed. This is the 14th instance of dermatomyositis with thyroid carcinoma to be documented in the English literature. The data from these 14 instances, while providing contradictory findings concerning the relationship between dermatomyositis and thyroid cancer, do not rule out the possibility. Thyroid cancer treatment appeared to have a substantial impact on the course of dermatomyositis in at least six of these patients.
With a better understanding of the connection between dermatomyositis and thyroid cancer, clinicians may be able to spare certain dermatomyositis patients from the morbidity and mortality associated with immunosuppression.
