title: Amyopathic dermatomyositis: definitions, diagnosis, and management.
abstract: Amyopathic dermatomyositis can be a challenging diagnosis because patients lack traditional muscle findings. "Clinically amyopathic" dermatomyositis (CADM) accounts for the presence of subclinical muscle disease in some of these patients. These patients represent a substantial minority of dermatomyositis cases and have similar co-morbidities to "classic" dermatomyositis patients, including interstitial lung disease and malignancy. Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis patients should not be considered as a distinct clinical entity from "classic" dermatomyositis, as they share antibody sub-types and associated co-morbidities, likely representing clinical spectrum of a common disease. It is essential for the clinician to be familiar with the clinical presentation of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, in order to facilitate early, accurate diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway Drive, Redwood City, 94063, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
mesh_terms: D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*