The disease is treated with anti-inflammatory medicines called corticosteroids and drugs that suppress the immune system.

When your muscle strength gets better, your doctor may tell you to slowly cut back on your doses. However, most people with this condition must take a medicine called prednisone indefinitely.

If the condition is associated with a tumor, the muscle weakness and rash may improve when the tumor is removed.

Some people may recover and have symptoms completely disappear. Doctors have reported several such cases, especially in children.

In adults, death may result from severe and prolonged muscle weakness, malnutrition, pneumonia, or lung failure. The major causes of death are cancer (malignancy) and lung disease.

• Acute renal failure
• Cancer (malignancy)
• Inflammation of the heart
• Joint pain
• Lung disease

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have muscle weakness or other symptoms of this condition.

Images

Dermatomyositis, Gottron's papule

Dermatomyositis on the legs

Paronychia, candidial

Dermatomyositis, heliotrope eyelids

Dermatomyositis, heliotrope rash on the face

Dermatomyositis, Gottron's papules on the hand

Dermatomyositis, Gottron's papule

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Dermatomyositis Symptoms

Review Date: 02/08/2011
Reviewed By: Richard J. Moskowitz, MD, Dermatologist in Private Practice, Mineola, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)