title: Palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome associated with non-small-cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: A 56-year-old man presented with pain and stiffness in both shoulders and developed severe, rapidly progressive contractures of the fingers. Examination revealed subcutaneous thickening in both palms with fixed flexion deformities of all digits except the thumbs. Initial investigations including a malignancy screen were all normal/negative. Eighteen months later, he was diagnosed with metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Although rare, palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome is an important paraneoplastic syndrome for rheumatologists to be aware of, as the musculoskeletal symptoms may precede neoplastic manifestations by many months and may improve with appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland. claire.sheehy1@mailc.hse.ie
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sheehy
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology; D006226:Hand Deformities / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010411:Penile Induration; D013577:Syndrome