Relapse of dermatomyositis after 10 years in remission following curative surgical treatment of lung cancer.

A 55-year-old woman with dermatomyositis and small cell lung cancer was successfully treated with surgery followed by combination chemotherapy in 1987. She had been in remission without further immunosuppressive therapy for 10 years. However, myositis with cutaneous manifestations specific for dermatomyositis relapsed when the patient was 69 years old. Intensive examinations revealed no neoplasm, and she responded to a moderate dose of systemic corticosteroids. This case suggests a long-lasting autoimmune abnormality in dermatomyositis and that a neoplasm is an important factor in eliciting an occult dermatomyositis.