Squamous Cell Skin Carcinoma in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Case Report and Literature Review

The case report of squamous cell skin carcinoma diagnosed in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus 26 years after the onset of rheumatic disease is presented. The features of this case included the absence of skin manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus, the occurrence of a tumor at the site of ulcers and trophic disorders on the leg, a long period (6 years) from the onset of a ulcerative defect on the leg to the diagnosis of skin cancer (despite multiple biopsies and consultations of various specialists), as well as the occurrence of a cytokine release syndrome, which directly led to the death of the patient after the first use of the immune checkpoint inhibitors. Possible causes of skin cancer in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as the features of the cytokine release syndrome after immunotherapy for oncological diseases, are discussed.

Zoledronate-responsive calcitriol-mediated hypercalcemia in a 5-year-old case with squamous cell carcinoma on the background of xeroderma pigmentosum

Malignancy-induced hypercalcemia is a very rare condition in children whereas it is more common among adult patients with malignancy. The mechanisms of malignancy-induced hypercalcemia include the over-secretion of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), osteolytic metastases and the over-production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol). Although hypercalcemia due to PTHrP secretion has been published before, overproduction of calcitriol has not been reported yet in pediatric squamous cell skin carcinoma cases. Herein, we report calcitriol-mediated severe hypercalcemia in a 5-year-old boy with squamous cell skin carcinoma arising in the background of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) which responded well to zoledronate treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first pediatric case of malignancy-induced hypercalcemia which is mediated by calcitriol in squamous cell skin carcinoma.