title: [Laboratory diagnostics of polymyositis/dermatomyositis].
abstract: Polymyositis/dermatomyositis is chronic systemic inflammatory disease that usually affects the skin and muscle tissue. The diagnosis of polymyositis/dermatomyositis isn't simple, and represents challenge for clinicians, it is based on the integration of results: medical history and clinical presentation, laboratory findings enzymes more or less specific to muscle tissue, myositis-specific autoantibodies and autoantibodies associated with myositis which can be found at other inflammatory connective tissue diseases without myositis, electromyography findings, and biopsy of muscle and skin. Laboratory tests contribute and assist in the diagnosis of polymyositis/dermatomyositis but they should always be evaluated in context with clinical picture and other tests and decisions about diagnosis and/or treatment are based on the integration of the results.
authors.affiliation: Klinicki odjel za reumatologiju, alergologiju i klinicku imunologiju, Klinika za unutarnje bolesti, Klinicki bolnicki centar Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek.
authors.forename: Visnja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prus
authors.forename: Drazen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bedeković
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies