Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

Dermatomyositis with squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs secondary to nivolumab treatment: a case report

Koichi Miyashita, M.D.1), Hiroyuki Kajikawa, M.D.1), Takaya Utsunomiya, M.D.2), Makoto Hosaka, M.D.3), Yutaka Naito, M.D., Ph.D.4) and Hidekazu Tomimoto, M.D., Ph.D.2)

1) Department of Neurology, Suzuka Kaisei Hospital
2) Department of Neurology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine
3) Department of Thoracic Surgery, Suzuka Kaisei Hospital
4) Department of Neurology, Ise Red Cross Hospital

A 74-year-old man was administered nivolumab to treat recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs. He developed fatigue, redness on the front of his neck, muscle weakness, and difficulty in swallowing after receiving the third course of nivolumab. Physical and neurological examinations showed proximal limb muscle weakness, periorbital erythema, and erythema of the front of his neck as well as fingers. Laboratory investigations revealed elevated serum CK and aldolase levels, and he was diagnosed with dermatomyositis. We initiated steroid pulse therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy; however, he died of advanced lung cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced neuromuscular disease is increasingly being observed in clinical practice. We report a rare case of dermatomyositis with squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs secondary to nivolumab treatment.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (3336K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 60: 768|772, 2020)
key words: nivolumab, dermatomyositis, lung squamous cell carcinoma, anti-TIF1-γ antibody

(Received: 5-Mar-20)