Dermatomyositis
| Dermatomyositis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Gottron's papules. Discrete erythematous papules overlying the metacarpal and interphalangeal joints in a person with juvenile dermatomyositis. | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Rheumatology |
| ICD-10 | M33.0-M33.1 (ILDS M33.910) |
| ICD-9-CM | 710.3 |
| DiseasesDB | 10343 |
| MedlinePlus | 000839 |
| eMedicine | med/2608 derm/98 |
| MeSH | D003882 |
Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare connective-tissue disease related to polymyositis (PM) that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin. While DM most frequently affects the skin and muscles, it is a systemic disorder that may also affect the joints, the esophagus, the lungs, and the heart.
Dermatomyositis is a form of systemic connective tissue disorder, a class of diseases that often involve autoimmune dysfunction.
It has also been classified as an Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy along with polymyositis, necrotizing autoimmune myositis, cancer-associated myositis, and sporadic inclusion body myositis.
There is a form of this disorder that strikes children, known as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).
The main symptoms include several kinds of skin rash along with muscle weakness in both upper arms or thighs.
One form the rashes take is called "heliotrope" (a purplish color) or lilac, but may also be red. It can occur around the eyes along with swelling, but also occurs on the upper chest or back what is called the "shawl" (around the neck) or "V-sign" above the breasts and may also occur on the face, upper arms, thighs, or hands. Another form the rash takes is called Gottron's sign which are red, sometimes scaly, papules that erupt on any of the finger joints (the metacarpophalangeal joints or the interphalangeal joints). All these rashes are made worse by exposure to sunlight, and are often very itchy, painful, and may bleed.
Around 30% of people have swollen, painful joints, but this is generally mild.
In some people the condition affects the lungs, and they may have a cough or difficulty breathing. If the condition affects the heart, there may be arrhythmias. If it affects the blood vessels in the stomach or intestines, which is more common in juvenile DM, the person might vomit blood, have black, tarry bowel movements, or may develop a hole somewhere in their GI tract.
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Wikipedia