Current insights in polymyositis and dermatomyositis

Polymyositis/dermatomyositis: the current position.

Polymyositis/dermatomyositis are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by skeletal muscle inflammation and necrosis.' 2 Since an excellent clinical description in 1903 by Steiner of dermatomyositis, which is essentially still valid,3 much progress has been made towards our understanding of this group of diseases. The most widely used clinical classification of idiopathic inflammatory ...

Polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Several techniques have been developed to accomplish these objectives. Open thoracotomy allows for the resection or stapling of apical blebs followed by a mechanical pleu-ral abrasion or parietal pleurectomy to create a pleural symphysis and prevent pneumothorax recurrence. Pneumothorax recurrence rates are less than 1%. However, with the significant postoperative morbidity associated with an o...

Polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

The inflammatory myopathies, commonly described as idiopathic, are the largest group of acquired and potentially treatable myopathies. On the basis of unique clinical, histopathological, immunological, and demographic features, they can be differentiated into three major and distinct subsets: dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and inclusion-body myositis. Use of new diagnostic criteria is essential...

Interstitial lung disease in amyopathic dermatomyositis, dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

This study investigated interstitial pneumonia associated with amyopathic dermatomyositis, dermatomyositis and polymyositis, paying particular attention to muscular and/or cutaneous manifestations and their chronology relative to lung involvement. Patients included four males and 13 females, aged 51.7+/-10.8 yrs, who had surgical lung biopsy. Diagnoses included dermatomyositis (10 patients), po...

Immunoglobulin Treatment in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis