What is dermatomyositis?
Dermatomyositis is a special form of polymyositis. Polymyositis is a chronic disease involving multiple muscles, especially in the upper arms and thighs, light. In dermatomyositis occur alongside muscle inflammation also skin lesions, especially around the eyes and on the knuckles of the hands. They may be accompanied by pain and itching. The disease sometimes develops in simultaneous presence of a malignant tumor through a paraneoplastic process. The disease occurs in people between 0.5 and 8 per 100,000. Women are twice more susceptible than men, children are girls even 5 times more susceptible than boys.
Dermatomyositis causes
The inflammation in the muscles and the skin are caused by a disturbed immune response. Normally, the immune system there with antibodies for that everything that doesn't belong in the body is detected and removed. In dermatomyositis, however, sees the immune system certain body chemicals necessary for building and maintaining healthy muscles and healthy skin for foreign substances, and these are so degraded by the own body. It is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system turns against itself own tissue. How this disorder can arise in a human body is not known.
Dermatomyositis symptoms
In children, the symptoms may begin quite acute in adults it usually happens gradually. Sometimes the disease as a secondary phenomenon in cancer. Symptoms include muscle weakness, muscle pain, rash and joint pain. People with dermatomyositis their arms for example, can not properly raise or have difficulty climbing stairs. The muscle symptoms can be so serious that someone ends up in a wheelchair. Skin disorders can include butterfly-shaped erythema (redness) on the face, edema around the eyes, mild swelling in the face, but also on the shoulders, chest and back, arms and legs. Gradually make these symptoms place for pigment spots and the formation of connective tissue. Joint pain in the form of swelling and pain may occur in various joints at the same time. There are also general symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, fatigue, fever, weight loss, muscle problems and pneumonia. Not all symptoms occur at the same time.
Infection
The skin rash in dermatomyositis is sometimes very striking and may, by people from the area lead to the patient's questions. The rash is not contagious. The same applies to the muscle complaints.
Dermatomyositis treatment
Medication
To dermatomyositis initially well to control the immune system should temporarily be laid flat, so that the body chemicals are not degraded by its own immune system. For this sidelining of the immune system uses one heavy anti-inflammatories. These are usually corticosteroids (prednisone). To handle the extra skin is sometimes used cortisone ointment. For both the prednisone and the ointment is true - if the disease process which allows - that long term use of it is to be prevented, because the side effects of this type of drug after a period of time, be strong. So disturbs prednisone in children's growth and makes cortisone ointment skin thinner.
Physical exercise
When the disease is still in the active phase is excessive physical effort must be avoided. Rest is the most important. If the inflammation is reduced, however, exercise becomes very important, in particular to prevent joints from seizing and tendons too short. The physical therapist, in consultation with the attending physician and the patient should look for the most ideal exercise program.
Dermatomyositis prognosis
With a reported mortality of less than 10%, the overall prognosis of dermatomyositis in children favorable. However, the risk of death increases with complications of heart, lungs, brains, or during the acute phase of the disease.