OBJECTIVE To analyse muscle respiratory chain enzymes in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. METHODS Four consecutive female patients seen at our hospital with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy were studied. Muscle histochemical staining included NADH tetrazolium reductase and succinate dehydrogenase tests. Activity of rotenone sensitive NADH cytochrome c reductase (complex I and III) succinate ...

Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia is one of mitochondrial disorders, characterized by ptosis, limitation of eye movement, variably severe bulbar muscle weakness and proximal limb weakness. Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia complicated with acquired disease is extremely rare. We report a 44 years old male patient with more than 20 years of chronic progressive bilateral ptos...

While human immunity is generally thought to protect against infectious agents, there is also evidence for immune surveillance against neoplastic diseases. Some malignant cells are able to evade or down-regulate this immune response through a variety of chemical mediators, rendering the host response ineffective and leading to poor prognoses. Immune mechanisms seem particularly important in the...

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and the common type of malignancies in Korean patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) and to evaluate the differences of clinical and laboratory findings between patients with malignancy and those without malignancy. Forty-one Korean patients, who were diagnosed as PM or DM, were enrolled in this study. They fulfilled the Bohan...

In recent years, antisynthetase syndrome has been recognized as an important cause of autoimmune inflammatory myopathy in a subset of patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis. It is associated with serum antibodies to aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases and is characterized by a constellation of manifestations, including fever, myositis, interstitial lung disease, "mechanic's hands," Rayna...

Abstract Background/Aims Myopathies due to inborn errors of metabolism can be difficult differentiate from inflammatory myopathies. Careful history, examination and laboratory tests are required establish the diagnosis. We present a case Riboflavin Transport Deficiency (Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome) masquerading as an myopathy. Methods A 37-year-old lady presented with severe proximal musc...