DERMATOMYOSITIS AND POLYMYOSITIS



DERMATOMYOSITIS AND POLYMYOSITIS

Dr. Vivek Rajagopal MD, MRCP

Consultant Rheumatologist

West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, UK

Introduction:

These are similar diseases caused by autoimmune inflammation of skeletal muscles. They can be associated with extra muscular symptoms or occur along with another defined connective tissue disease such as Sjogren’s syndrome, Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Epidemiology

These are rare diseases. Epidemiological data are scarce and partly unreliable due to small numbers.

The annual incidence is approximately 2 to 7 per million. Both polymyositis and dermatomyositis have a female preponderance of 3:1. The peak age of onset is between 50 to 60; although cases have been described in all ages including children.

These disorders, particularly dermatomyositis are associated with malignancy. There is approximately a 10 - 15% chance of finding a malignancy in patients presenting with dermatomyositis. Usually, the malignancy precedes the muscle weakness, but the reverse can also occur. The type of malignancies vary and include haematological malignancies (mainly lymphoma), and solid tumours such as lung, ovary, breast and colon cancer.

Clinical Features

Muscle weakness and decreased muscle endurance are the predominant symptoms. Onset is sub acute or insidious. Weakness is most pronounced in proximal muscle groups with a symmetrical distribution. Some patients may experience muscle pain especially if myositis is acute. If untreated, the weakness progresses slowly and in the most severe cases, patients may become wheel chair bound. Swallowing difficulties, respiratory muscle weakness and neck muscle weakness can also occur.

Cutaneous manifestations are seen in dermatomyositis. The skin rash may precede muscle symptoms by months or years. The skin lesions may fail to respond to treatment. Several types of lesions have been described:

i. Gottron’s papules – the most specific skin lesion. These are violaceous, pink or dusky red papules located over the dorsal side of metacarpal or interphalangeal joints.

ii. Heliotrope rash – A periorbital violaceous erythema of one or both eyelids with oedema.

iii. Red or violaceous erythema over the shoulders, neck and chest (the ‘V’ sign) or over the hips.

iv. Mechanic hands – Hyperkeratosis, scaling and fissuring of the fingers, particularly over the radial side of index finger.

v. Other associated skin lesions are periungual erythema, nail fold telengiectasias and cubicula overgrowth.

vi. Calcinosis – Subcutaneous calcifications can occur. This is seen mainly in dermatomyositis in children.

Involvement of other organs can also occur. Interstitial lung disease, cardiac involvement with conduction disturbances and cardiomyopathy, arthralgia and arthritis, GI involvement due to muscle weakness are some of the rare manifestations.

Differential Diagnosis

Infectious Myositis – Presents with acute muscle pain and weakness along with prodromal features of the underlying infection. These are self limited. Infections associated with myositis are influenza, echo and cox sackie viruses. Retroviral infections such as HIV and HTLV – I (Human T cell Leukaemia/lymphoma virus) can cause myositis with clinical and histological features similar to polymyositis. Focal myositis can be seen with staphylococcal infections.

Drugs – Several drugs can induce myopathies with muscle weakness and increased creatinine phosphokinase. The commonest drugs causing this are the statins. Other drugs such as fibrates, nicotinic acid, cimetidine, chloroquine and colchicines are also associated with myositis. Alcohol and glucocorticoid use can cause a chronic myopathy.

Inclusion body myositis – Presents with insidious onset muscle weakness, but does not respond to immunosupressants. Characteristic distinguishing features are thigh extensor and forearm flexor weakness. Dysphagia is common. Muscle biopsy is needed to make the diagnosis.

Investigations

• Creatinine kinase – is elevated in most cases of inflammatory myopathies. 10 – 20% of patients may have normal creatinine kinase levels. Other enzymes such as LDH, ALT, and Aldolase can also be elevated.

• Auto antibodies – are positive in 70%.The most frequently detected is a positive ANA. There are myositis specific antibodies mainly directed against aminoacyl-t-RNA synthetases. Anti Jo -1 is the most frequent and is available in tertiary centres.

• Electromyography (EMG) – Can detect the presence of myositis, but is not specific. Its role is to identify the best site for muscle biopsy as multiple muscles can be tested at the same time.

• Muscle biopsy – is the definitive test and helps differentiate between Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis. It can also be used to monitor response to treatment.

• MRI – is increasingly used to identify inflammation within muscles and to monitor treatment response.

Investigation to screen for malignancy

This is done at diagnosis and repeated if more specific symptoms arise. Usually a chest X-ray, bone profile and baseline blood investigations are enough. CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis is increasingly being used as a screening examination.

Treatment

Steroids – Prednisolone 1mg/kg/day is very effective in resolving weakness and normalising CK levels. Prolonged courses are usually required and response is gradual. Patients can develop steroid induced myopathy which can be difficult to differentiate from relapse of myositis. Steroid sparing agents; either methotrexate or azathioprine are often needed. Most Rheumatologists prefer to start steroid sparing agents along with prednisolone at the outset.

Other treatments

Plasma exchange has been used for severe cases with respiratory or bulbar weakness. Intravenous immunoglobins have also shown to be effective as initial therapy in severe myositis.

Cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine has been used in combination with glucocorticoids in patients with lung involvement.

Infliximab, Etanercept and Rituximab have been used in refractory myositis with good effect. Results of randomised controlled trials are awaited with interest.

Prognosis

More than 75% of patients make a full recovery. Often a period of physiotherapy and rehabilitation is needed along with immunosuppressive treatment. A significant proportion of patients experience treatment related morbidity mainly due to the adverse effects of steroids. Periodic review is required to pick up malignancies early in dermatomyositis patients.

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