The present study reports the case of a 61-year-old male with
polymyositis who presented with exacerbated weakness in the lower limbs and a recurrent
fever that had persisted for one month. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans revealed multiple regions of elevated fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, spleen and bones. While symptoms of nonchalance and
confusion were identified on admission, the patient's serum
calcium level was high at 3.87 mmol/l, so a hypercalcemic crisis was confirmed. A biopsy of the right lingual lymph node revealed
peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified. The serum
calcium level was restored to within the normal range following emergency measures, such as saline
rehydration,
diuretics,
calcitonin and
glucocorticoids, and partial remission was achieved following two courses of
chemotherapy. The study may improve our present understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of
cancer-associated
myositis (CAM) and
malignancy-associated
hypercalcemia.