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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe most common signs and symptoms of dermatomyositis include:
- Skin changes. A violet-colored or dusky red rash develops, most commonly on your face and eyelids and on areas around your nails, knuckles, elbows, knees, chest and back. The rash, which can be patchy with bluish-purple discolorations, is often the first sign of dermatomyositis.
- Muscle weakness. Progressive muscle weakness involves the muscles closest to the trunk, such as those in your hips, thighs, shoulders, upper arms and neck. The weakness is symmetrical, affecting both the left and right sides of your body, and tends to gradually worsen.
Other dermatomyositis signs and symptoms that may occur include:
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Muscle pain or tenderness
- Fatigue, fever and weight loss
- Hardened deposits of calcium under the skin (calcinosis), especially in children
- Gastrointestinal ulcers and intestinal perforations, also more common in children
- Lung problems
When to see a doctor
If you develop signs and symptoms associated with dermatomyositis, see your doctor for an evaluation and diagnosis. If you've already been diagnosed with the condition, contact your doctor if new symptoms occur or if existing symptoms worsen.
References
- NINDS dermatomyositis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dermatomyositis/dermatomyositis.htm. Accessed June 13, 2011.
- 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 June 1, 2011.
- 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.
- Baer AN, et al. Polymyositis & dermatomyositis. In: Imboden JB, et al. Current Rheumatology Diagnosis & Treatment. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2726184. Accessed June 6, 2011.
- Cordeiro AC, et al. Treatment of inflammatory myopathies. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2006;82:417.
- 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 June 1, 2011.
- Miller ML, et al. Treatment of recurrent and resistant dermatomyositis and polymyositis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2011.
- Dimachkie MM. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 2011;231:32.
- Koski CL, et al. Intravenous immunoglobulin use for neurologic diseases. Journal of Infusion Nursing. 2006;29:S21.
- Medications. The Myositis Association. http://www.myositis.org/template/page.cfm?id=304. Accessed June 9, 2011.
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