Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of systemic autoimmune diseases that involve inflammation of skeletal muscle. The two most common forms are dermatomyositis and polymyositis, the former of which entails a skin component. There are few approved therapeutics available for treatment of this group of diseases and the first-line therapy is usually corticosteroid treatment. Considering ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To present scientific evidence on clinical and molecular effects of exercise in adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies focusing on recent studies. RECENT FINDINGS In patients with inclusion body myositis (IBM), one small, open study recently for the first time reported on improved muscle strength and functional capacity after a twice-a-day home exercise progra...

Background: There are scarce studies in the literature about hyaluronic acid in systemic autoimmune myopathies. oBjectives: To analyze the serum level of hyaluronic acid in patients with dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Methods: Cross-sectional study, single-center, that evaluated hyaluronic acid in 18 dermatomyositis and 15 polymyositis (Bohan and Peter criteria), newly diagnosed, with clinic...

An ex-Far East prisoner of war (FEPOW) treated with corticosteroids for severe polymyositis died from multisystem strongyloidiasis and pyogenic meningitis. At necropsy larvae were widely disseminated in the lungs, liver, heart and brain.

1. Lischner M, Prokocimer M, Zolberg A, Shaklai M. Autoimmunity in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Postgrad Med J 1988;64:590–2. 2. Salvi A, Balestrier GP, Spandrio S, Franceschini R, Maroccolo M, Giustina G. Polymyositis associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1991;9:209–10. 3. Cherin P, Piette JC, Herson S, Raguin G, Godeau P. Polymyositis associated with chronic lymph...

We report a case of a previously healthy 41-year-old man who was admitted for progressive dyspnea and cough, which culminated in respiratory failure, shock, and death. Lung and muscle biopsy results were consistent with interstitial lung disease secondary to polymyositis. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are rare autoimmune diseases that primarily affect the muscles and skin, with frequent extr...

Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neurophysiology/DFF/UFC and Institute of Biomedicine of the Brazilian Semiarid/ INCT/CNPq: MD, MSc; MD, PhD, Full Professor of Neurology and Neurophysiology/DFF/UFC; MD, Medical Doctor of the Brasília Base Hospital; MSc, PhD, Associate Professor of the Medicine Course of the Christus Faculty; DVM; DVM, PhD, Professor of the Superior School of Agriculture...

BACKGROUND Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly valuable tool for full assessment of the extent of bilateral symmetrical diffuse inflammatory myopathy, owing to its high sensitivity in the detection of edema which correlates with, and sometimes precedes, clinical findings. PURPOSE To evaluate the use of whole-body (WB)-MRI in characterization and full assessment of the ex...