The clinical features, diagnosis and classification of dermatomyositis.
Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) characterized by an inflammatory infiltrate primarily affecting the skeletal muscle and skin. Most common and peculiar cutaneous lesions include Gottron's papules, Gottron's sign and heliotrope rash. Different DM subsets have been identified until now encompassing classic DM, amyopathic DM, hypomyopathic DM, post-myopathic DM, and DM sine dermatitis. Patients with DM have a higher incidence rate of malignancy than the normal population. In these patients cancer occurs in about 30% of cases with higher occurrence in men and in elderly people. Bohan and Peter's diagnostic criteria, proposed in 1975, have been widely accepted and used until now. In the last ten years muscle immunopathology, myositis specific autoantibodies testing, and the use of new techniques of muscle imaging such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound or Magnetic Resonance Imaging have been introduced in the diagnostic work-up of patients with DM leading to the development of new diagnostic criteria.
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Luca
L
Iaccarino
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Anna
A
Ghirardello
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Silvano
S
Bettio
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Margherita
M
Zen
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Mariele
M
Gatto
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Leonardo
L
Punzi
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: adoria@unipd.it.
Andrea
A
Doria
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D005076:Exanthema / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
D001323:Autoantibodies
Autoantibodies; Classification criteria; Connective tissue disease; Dermatomyositis; Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies