title: Comparison of clinical features and drug therapies among European and Latin American patients with juvenile dermatomyositis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the demographic features, presenting manifestations, diagnostic investigations, disease course, and drug therapies of children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) followed in Europe and Latin America.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were inception cohorts seen between 1980 and 2004 in 27 paediatric rheumatology centres. The following information was collected through the review of patient charts: sex; age at disease onset; date of disease onset and diagnosis; onset type; presenting clinical features; diagnostic investigations; course type; and medications received during disease course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and ninety patients (65.5% females, mean onset age 7.0 years, mean disease duration 7.7 years) were included. Disease presentation was acute or insidious in 57.1% and 42.9% of the patients, respectively. The course type was monophasic in 41.3% of patients and chronic polycyclic or continuous in 58.6% of patients. The more common presenting manifestations were muscle weakness (84.9%), Gottron's papules (72.9%), heliotrope rash (62%), and malar rash (56.7%). Overall, the demographic and clinical features of the 2 continental cohorts were comparable. European patients received more frequently high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, and azathioprine, while methotrexate and antimalarials medications were used more commonly by Latin American physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demographic and clinical characteristics of JDM are similar in European and Latin American patients. We found, however, several differences in the use of medications between European and Latin American paediatric rheumatologists.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico G. Gaslini, Genova, Italy. dinara_g@inbox.lv
authors.forename: Dinara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guseinova
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consolaro
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trail
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pistorio
authors.forename: Nicolino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruperto
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buoncompagni
authors.forename: Clarissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pilkington
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.forename: Sheila K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sztajnbok
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuttica
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corona
authors.forename: Maria Martha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Katsicas
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferriani
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burgos-Vargas
authors.forename: Eunice
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Solis-Vallejo
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baca
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saad-Magalhaes
authors.forename: Clovis A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barcellona
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cimaz
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallizzi
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garozzo
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meini
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stabile
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007391:International Cooperation; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000145:classification*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations