title: Anti-RNP antibody in a child with undifferentiated carcinoma and no evidence of mixed connective tissue disease.
abstract: We describe a young girl who presented with musculoskeletal symptoms and who was found to have high titres of antinuclear antibody with anti-RNP antibody. She was initially suspected of having mixed connective tissue disease, but ultimately was found to have metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma with an unknown primary site. This is a very uncommon malignancy of childhood and an association with anti-RNP antibody has, to our knowledge, not been described. The clinical significance of this finding is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon, Tyne.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Malleson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Petty
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cabral
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins