Acute dermatomyositis associated with a staphylococcal infection.

Introduction Polymyositis and dermatomyositis may be asscciated with autoimmune phenomena and with malignancy. The initiating factors are unclear; viral infections have been proposed (Pearson and Bohan, 1977) and a few cases have been associated with bacterial and parasitic infections (Naidoo and Chan, 1975; Kegen, Kimball and Christian, 1974; Greenlee et al., 1975; Samuels and Rietschel, 1976). Staphylococcal infection is recognized as causing pyomyositis by direct involvement of skeletal muscle, particularly in the tropics (Levin, Gardner and Waldvogel, 1971). No link has been drawn between staphylococcal infection and polymyositis or dermatomyositis. A case is reported of dermatomyositis associated with a septicaemia due to Staphylococcus aureus and osteomyelitis of the cervical spine.