Polymyositis - adult

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Superficial anterior muscles

Polymyositis - adult

Treatment:

The disease is treated with corticosteroid medications. When an improvement in muscle strength is achieved, usually in 4 to 6 weeks, the medication is slowly tapered off. Maintenance therapy with prednisone may be continued indefinitely. In people who fail to respond to corticosteroids, medications to suppress the immune system may be used.

If the condition is associated with a tumor, the condition may improve if the tumor is removed.

Expectations (prognosis):

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Remission (a period when no symptoms are present) and recovery occur in many patients, especially children. For most others, immunosuppressant drugs can control the disease. In adults, death may result from severe and prolonged muscle weakness, malnutrition, pneumonia, or respiratory failure. The probable outcome is usually worse if the lungs are involved.

Complications:

associated malignancy
heart disease, lung disease, or abdominal complications
calcium deposits in the affected muscles, especially in children with the disease

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms of this disorder occur; shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing can indicate an urgent need for treatment.

References:

Harris ED, Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, Sledge CB. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2005:1312-1316.

Choy E, Hoogendijk J, Lecky B, Winer J. Immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatment for dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Jul 20;(3):CD003643.

Schnabel A, Hellmich B, Gross WL. Interstitial lung disease in polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2005 Apr;7(2):99-105.

Rosenkranz H. Polymyositis. eMedicine. March 10, 2005. Available online at: http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic474.htm. Accessed October 12, 2005.