Thirty-two cases analysis on rheumatic manifestations of malignant tumors / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To improve the understanding of osteoarticular pain presented as rheumatic syndromes of cancers and malignant skeleton metastasis associated. Methods To analyse the clinical data of 32 patients initially manifested as osteoarticular pain. Results Forteen patients of 32 cases was diagnosed as cancer associated rheumatic syndromes, characterized by gradually deteriorated chronic recurrent vague pain. The effect of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and glucocorticoid was not satisfactory. Pain subsided after removal of carcinous mass. Eighteen patients had malignant skeleton metastasis, vague pain at onset, but gradually progressed to be, severe persistent pain. NSAIDs and glucocorticoid were ineffective. Narcotic analgesics could produce short time relief. The nature and distribution of tumour were comparatively extensive. The clinical misdiagnosis rate was high. Conclusion Clinical doctors often neglect the coexistence of tumor because they are not familiar with the relation between osteoarticular pain and tumor. So patients who is over sixty and is not sensitive to commonly used analgesics and glucocorticoid with osteoarticular muscular pain should be considered the possibility of malignant tumor after excluding diffuse connective tissue disease.