Dermatomyositis Flashcards
What is dermatomyosisitis?
Inflammatory disorder causing symmetrical, proximal muscle weakness and characteristic skin lesions
What is a variant of dermatomyositis?
Polymyositis
What can dermatomyositis be associated with?
Underlying malignancy
Which underlying malignancies can dermatomyositis be associated with?
Ovarian, breast and lung cancer
What is similar about dermatomyositis and polymyositis?
Dermatomyositis presents the same as polymoyisitis but has additional features
What are the additional features of dermatomyositis?
Photosensitive
Macular rash over back and shoulder
Heliotrope rash in the periorbital region
Gottron’s papules
‘mechanic’s hands’
Nail fold capillary dilatation
What are gottron’s papules?
Roughened red papules over extensor surfaces of fingers
What are mechanic’s hands?
Extremely dry and scaly hands with linear ‘cracks’ on the palmar and lateral aspects of the fingers
Where does the macular rash typically appear?
Over back and shoulders
Where does the heliotrope rash typically appear?
Periorbital region
What antibodies are typically present in someone with dermatomyositis?
ANA
What antibodies are present in about 30% of people?
antibodies against histidine-tRNA ligase (also called Jo-1)
antibodies to signal recognition particle (SRP)
anti-Mi-2 antibodies
What are the 3 most important tests for dermatomyositis?
Creatinine kinase
EMG
Muscle biopsy
What is needed for the definitive diagnosis of dermatomyositis?
Muscle biopsy
What is the main medical management for dermatomyositis?
Steroids
