Functional outcome and quality of life in adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis.
OBJECTIVE
To present the outcome of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis, focusing on functional ability and quality of life.


METHODS
Analysis was performed using data from 105 adult patients with definitive polymyositis, dermatomyositis or overlap myositis, who were followed up at a single centre. The diagnosis was made between 1979 and 2000 based on Bohan and Peter's criteria. Functional ability was assessed after a minimum follow-up of 3 yr with the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQDI) and quality of life was measured with the Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36).


RESULTS
Fifteen patients in our cohort died and 87 participated in the evaluation of functional outcome. Functional ability after a median follow-up of 107.1 months (range 36.4-273.3) was heterogeneous. The median HAQDI score was 0.875 (range 0-2.875). Polyphasic or chronic-progressive disease course, osteoporosis and long-term follow-up were predictive of higher HAQDI scores. In terms of quality of life, significant differences from population norms were shown in all domains of the SF-36. There were no significant differences in the SF-36 scores among the patients according to clinicopathological subset or disease course.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the mortality of our cohort was favourable, myositis continues to have a great impact on life in the medium and long term. The present work indicates that myositis patients have a significantly poorer quality of life than the normal population, but there was no difference among the patients according to clinicopathological subsets.
Ponyi
A
A
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, 4004 Debrecen, Móricz Zs Krt 22, Hungary. ponyi@gyer2.sote.hu
Borgulya
G
G
Constantin
T
T
Váncsa
A
A
Gergely
L
L
Dankó
K
K
D000328:Adult; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D005938:Glucocorticoids