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Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis as presentation of thymic carcinoma

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Abstract

Thymic carcinomas are very rare and heterogeneous groups of anterior mediastinum neoformations with an extremely aggressive behavior. Often, the diagnosis is made in the advanced stages. Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with thymic carcinoma are extremely rare. We report a case of a 64-year-old man presenting with early stage thymic carcinoma which was discovered because of associated paraneoplastic dermatomyositis. The dermatomyositis disappeared completely after radical resection of the tumor. After 20-month follow-up, the patient is in good clinical condition without recidivism of disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, S. Orsola Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna, Italy

    Andrea Dell’Amore, Nizar Asadi, Guido Caroli, Giampiero Dolci, Alessandro Bini & Franco Stella

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  1. Andrea Dell’Amore
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  2. Nizar Asadi
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  3. Guido Caroli
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  4. Giampiero Dolci
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  5. Alessandro Bini
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  6. Franco Stella
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Correspondence to Andrea Dell’Amore.

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Dell’Amore, A., Asadi, N., Caroli, G. et al. Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis as presentation of thymic carcinoma. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 61, 422–425 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-012-0144-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-012-0144-x

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