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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffPossible complications of dermatomyositis include:
Muscle weakness complications
- Difficulty swallowing. If the muscles in your esophagus are affected, you may have problems swallowing (dysphagia), which in turn may cause weight loss and malnutrition.
- Aspiration and pneumonia. Difficulty swallowing may also lead to entrance of food or liquids, including saliva, into your lungs (aspiration), which can lead to pneumonia.
- Breathing problems. If your chest muscles are affected by the disease, you may experience breathing problems, such as shortness of breath.
- Gastrointestinal problems. Gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding can occur.
Skin symptom complications
- Calcium deposits. Late in the disease, deposits of calcium can occur in your muscles, skin and connective tissues (calcinosis). These deposits develop earlier and are more common in children with dermatomyositis.
- Infections. Dermatomyositis puts you at increased risk of infections, particularly of the respiratory and digestive tracts.
Associated conditions
Dermatomyositis may cause other conditions, or put you at higher risk of developing them. These conditions include:
- Raynaud's phenomenon. This is a condition in which your fingers, toes, cheeks, nose and ears turn pale when exposed to cold temperatures.
- Other connective tissue diseases. Other conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome can occur in combination with dermatomyositis.
- Cardiovascular disease. Dermatomyositis may cause the muscle of your heart to become inflamed (myocarditis). In a small number of people who have dermatomyositis, congestive heart failure and heart arrhythmias may develop.
- Lung disease. A condition called interstitial lung disease may occur with dermatomyositis. Interstitial lung disease refers to a group of disorders that cause scarring (fibrosis) of lung tissue, making lungs stiff and inelastic. Signs and symptoms include a dry cough and shortness of breath.
- Cancer. Dermatomyositis in adults has been linked to an increased likelihood of cancer, particularly of the cervix, lungs, pancreas, breasts, ovaries and gastrointestinal tract. Risk of cancer increases with age, although it appears to level off three years or so after a diagnosis of dermatomyositis. The diagnosis of cancer may also happen before you develop dermatomyositis.
Concerns during pregnancy
Pregnancy may worsen signs and symptoms in women with active disease. Active dermatomyositis can also increase the risk of premature birth or stillbirth. If the disease is in remission, the risk isn't as great.
References
- NINDS dermatomyositis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dermatomyositis/dermatomyositis.htm. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- Baer A. Advances in the therapy of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2006;18:236.
- Dalakas MC. Inflammatory disorders of muscle: Progress in polymyositis, dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2004;17:561.
- Miller ML. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of adult dermatomyositis and polymyositis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 8, 2009.
- Greenberg SA, et al. Uncertainties in the pathogenesis of adult dermatomyositis. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2004;17:359.
- Santmyire-Rosenberger B, et al. Skin involvement in dermatomyositis. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2003;15:714.
- Amato AA, et al. Treatment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2003;16:569.
- Oddis CV. Current approach to the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2000;12:492.
- Walker UA. Imaging tools for the clinical assessment of idiopathic inflammatory myositis. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2008;20:656.
- Miller ML, et al. Initial treatment of dermatomyositis and polymyositis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 8, 2009.
- Miller ML, et al. Treatment of recurrent and resistant polymyositis and dermatomyositis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 15, 2009.
