No abstract

Many autoimmune diseases have been reported to be associated with malignancy. Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), however, has rarely been associated with malignancy. Thymoma is one of the neoplasms often reported to be related to various immunological disorders. Among the types of thymoma defined by WHO, malignant thymoma (thymoma type C) is the one least reported to be associated with autoimmune disease. Here, we report a case of malignant thymoma with concurrent MCTD, which manifested with acrosclerosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, arthritis (synovitis), and a high titer of anti-ribonucleoprotein antibody.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease with manifestations in many organs. In most cases, involvement of the locomotor system dominates the clinical picture. However, extra-articular manifestations can be detected in almost any organ system with varied incidence in different series. Ophthalmic presentations include Sjogren's syndrome, episcleritis, and scleritis. The most severe form of scleritis, scleromalacia perforans, is a very rare ophthalmic manifestation. We present the case of a 60-year-old man who had had rheumatoid arthritis for more than 10 years. He had scleromalacia perforans but no other extra-articular manifestations.