Dermatomyositis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in an elderly female patient with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis

A 79-year-old female patient with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis was diagnosed as having hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a diameter of 2.0 cm. She refused therapy for HCC. Nine months after the diagnosis, she developed dermatomyositis when the HCC enlarged to a diameter of 6.0 cm. She underwent therapy for dermatomyositis, and then transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for HCC. Although the manifestations of dermatomyositis improved and entire tumor necrosis was achieved, she died of pneumonia 2 mo after the treatment of HCC. HCC and/or chronic hepatitis C virus infection might be involved in the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis.