title: Relapse of polymyositis after prolonged remission.
abstract: We describe the case of a patient with polymyositis and anti-Jo-1 antibodies who experienced a relapse of his inflammatory muscle disease after 7 years of clinical remission. Our review of the literature shows that remission is achieved in 25-68% of patients treated with high dose corticosteroids as part of their initial therapy. Relapse rates after complete remission vary from 6 to 43% in the few studies where this information is available. Late relapses after initial remission appear to be unusual, but may be more frequent in patients like this one with antisynthetase syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Brown University School of Medicine, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Lally
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C046750:Jo-1 antibody; D011241:Prednisone