Drug treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis.

A series of 29 children with dermatomyositis has been reviewed and the outcome compared between cases treated by us initially with a low dosage short duration course of corticosteroids, and those referred late and having had various different therapeutic regimens and usually more active and higher dosage drug schedules. There were fewer relapses and less morbidity in the low dosage short term group. It was noted also that there was no relation between the initial mode of onset or severity and the eventual outcome or course of the disease. However, pronounced skin vasculitis appeared to reflect severity of disease.