Successful treatment of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy by gefitinib in a case with lung adenocarcinoma.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is an important manifestation of lung carcinoma, particularly in a non-small cell tumor, and hampers quality of life. Although removal of the primary tumor usually resolves this syndrome, effective treatment in patients with advanced lung carcinoma has not been established. Recently, an orally active, selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR) inhibitor ("Gefitinib") provided clinical anti-tumor activity.