Rheumatologic manifestations of malignancy.

The association of rheumatic syndromes and malignancy is highlighted in this review. The prevalence of malignancy in a series of patients with unclassified rheumatic syndromes is reported. The spectrum of arthropathies associated with malignancy includes bilateral knee effusions, sacroiliitis, and adult-onset Still's disease. There are further reports on the well-recognized association between dermatomyositis and malignancy. The importance of screening for malignancy in patients with classic dermatomyositis as well as dermatomyositis sine myositis is highlighted. The association of mixed cryoglobulinemia with hepatitis C virus infection, hepatocellular carcinoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is discussed. Finally, the association of miscellaneous rheumatic features such as autoantibodies, vasculitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with malignancy is described.