Juvenile Dermatomyositis Associated with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

A link between dermatomyositis and neoplasia has long been suspected. The precise incidence of this association remains controversial, owing to varying criteria used to diagnose dermatomyositis. Although juvenile dermatomyositis is believed to display no association with neoplasm, there have been few reported cases of dermatomyositis associated with tumors of any kind in pediatric age group (1-4). We describe another such case and review briefly the current status of the association of neoplasia with juvenile dermatomyositis.