title: Fatal cardiac involvement complicating antisynthetase syndrome.
abstract: A 35-year-old Afro-Caribbean woman presented with dyspnoea, urticarial rash and myalgia 1 month after treatment for a community-acquired respiratory tract infection. Investigations revealed raised antisynthetase antibodies, lung fibrosis and an inflammatory myopathy. The patient was diagnosed with antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) and started on immunosuppressive medication. Despite treatment she died 4 weeks after presentation from a fulminant cardiomyopathy. ASS is a rare condition and is not typically associated with a cardiomyopathy. This case report intends to raise awareness that cardiomyopathy is a potentially fatal complication of ASS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK.
authors.forename: Stefen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melath
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK.
authors.forename: Renata S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Scalco
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Penn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009220:Myositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis