title: Paraneoplastic polymyositis presenting as a clinically occult breast cancer.
abstract: Paraneoplastic syndrome affects less than 1% of cancer patients. Diagnosis of paraneoplastic syndrome with neurological presentation requires screening for an underlying malignancy, including a complete history, physical examination and imaging studies. Treatment often results in symptom stability, rather than improvement. Paraneoplastic polymyositis can precede or instantaneously occur at diagnosis or treatment of a primary tumour, while neurological symptoms can persist even following cancer treatment. We report a rare case of metaplastic breast carcinoma with an unusual presentation of paraneoplastic polymyositis.
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust , UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Merali
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust , UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yousuff
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust , UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pronisceva
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust , UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poddar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes; D017285:Polymyositis
keywords: Breast cancer; Diagnosis; Metaplastic carcinoma; Neurology; Paraneoplastic syndrome