title: A case of polymyositis complicated with myasthenic crisis.
abstract: We report a 62-year-old woman who suffered from polymyositis (PM) complicated with myasthenic crisis. Electromyography and muscle biopsy indicated a diagnosis of PM; however, respiratory failure due to respiratory muscle weakness was seen in spite of a normal serum creatine kinase (CK) level. The positive anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody led us to the diagnosis of myasthenic crisis. PM with respiratory muscle weakness is rare. We suggest that the possibility of other neurological disorder complications should be considered when PM patients have respiratory muscle weakness out of proportion to the serum CK level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. yoshidomey@mub.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshidome
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takasaki
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic