dermatomyositis
Sign in to saveDermatomyositis (DM) is a long-term inflammatory autoimmune disorder which affects the skin and the muscles. Its symptoms are generally a skin rash and worsening muscle weakness over time. These may occur suddenly or develop over months. Other symptoms may include weight loss, fever, lung inflammation, or light sensitivity. Complications may include calcium deposits in muscles or skin.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).caption
- Discrete red areas overlying the knuckles in a person with juvenile dermatomyositis. These are known as Gottron's papules.
- Medical condition (new).field
- Rheumatology
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Rash, muscle weakness, weight loss, fever
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Calcinosis, dysphagia, interstitial lung disease, heart disease (rarely), joint pain, other autoimmune conditions
- Medical condition (new).onset
- 40s to 50s
- Medical condition (new).duration
- Long term
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Autoimmune (Type III hypersensitivity)
- Medical condition (new).risks
- Other autoimmune conditions, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, other cancers
- Medical condition (new).diagnosis
- Based on symptoms, blood tests, electromyography, muscle biopsies
- Medical condition (new).differential
- Polymyositis, inclusion body myositis, scleroderma
- Medical condition (new).treatment
- Medication, physical therapy, exercise, heat therapy, orthotics, assistive devices, rest
- Medical condition (new).medication
- Corticosteroids, methotrexate, azathioprine
- Medical condition (new).frequency
- ~ 1 per 100,000 people per year
- Medical condition (new).name
- Dermatomyositis
- Medical condition (new).image
- Dermatomyositis.jpg
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
17 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Skin
- Muscles
- Respiratory
- Cardiac
- Other
- Causes
- Diagnosis
- Classification
- Treatment
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- History
- People who were affected with dermatomyositis
- Research
- References
- External links
Dermatomyositis (DM) is a long-term inflammatory autoimmune disorder which affects the skin and the muscles. Its symptoms are generally a skin rash and worsening muscle weakness over time. These may occur suddenly or develop over months. Other symptoms may include weight loss, fever, lung inflammation, or light sensitivity. Complications may include calcium deposits in muscles or skin.
Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disorder featuring both humoral and T-cell autoimmune processes. Dermatomyositis may develop as a paraneoplastic syndrome associated with several forms of malignancy. It is known to be associated with several viruses, especially coxsackievirus, but no definitive causal link has been found. Dermatomyositis is considered a type of inflammatory myopathy. Diagnosis is typically based on some combination of symptoms, blood tests, electromyography, and muscle biopsies. Eighty percent of adults and sixty percent of children with juvenile dermatomyositis have a myositis-specific antibody (MSA).