Biomaterial Database

Current management of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. 1989

C V Oddis, and T A Medsger

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.

This article reviews the clinical features and emphasises the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Pharmacological intervention with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents is discussed. In addition, strategies regarding the initiation and subsequent tapering of these drugs are provided, and an algorithmic approach to the management of myositis is provided. Therapeutic modalities for patients with refractory disease are considered, and the potential adverse effects of such treatment are discussed. Since patients with myositis often have disease-related complaints other than muscle weakness, a practical treatment approach for these problems is also outlined.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009220	Myositis	Inflammation of a muscle or muscle tissue.	Inflammatory Myopathy,Myositis, Focal,Myositis, Infectious,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis,Infectious Myositis,Inflammatory Muscle Diseases,Inflammatory Myopathies, Idiopathic,Inflammatory Myopathy, Idiopathic,Muscle Diseases, Inflammatory,Myopathies, Idiopathic Inflammatory,Myopathy, Inflammatory,Myositis, Proliferative,Focal Myositides,Focal Myositis,Infectious Myositides,Inflammatory Muscle Disease,Inflammatory Myopathies,Muscle Disease, Inflammatory,Myopathies, Inflammatory,Myopathy, Idiopathic Inflammatory,Myositides,Myositides, Focal,Myositides, Infectious,Myositides, Proliferative,Proliferative Myositides,Proliferative Myositis
D003882	Dermatomyositis	A subacute or chronic inflammatory disease of muscle and skin, marked by proximal muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash. The illness occurs with approximately equal frequency in children and adults. The skin lesions usually take the form of a purplish rash (or less often an exfoliative dermatitis) involving the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper trunk, and arms. The disease is associated with a complement mediated intramuscular microangiopathy, leading to loss of capillaries, muscle ischemia, muscle-fiber necrosis, and perifascicular atrophy. The childhood form of this disease tends to evolve into a systemic vasculitis. Dermatomyositis may occur in association with malignant neoplasms. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1405-6)	Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis,Dermatomyositis, Adult Type,Dermatomyositis, Childhood Type,Dermatopolymyositis,Juvenile Dermatomyositis,Juvenile Myositis,Adult Type Dermatomyositis,Childhood Type Dermatomyositis,Dermatomyositis, Juvenile,Myositis, Juvenile,Polymyositis Dermatomyositis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man