AUTOIMMUNE MYOPATHIES

Course overview

IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOSITIS (IIM) IS CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR SUBTYPES BASED ON CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES. POLYMYOSITIS (PM) AND DERMATOMYOSITIS (DM) ARE 2 OF THOSE SUBTYPES IN ADDITION TO IMMUNE-MEDIATED NECROTIZING MYOPATHY AND INCLUSION BODY MYOSITIS. THE PRESENCE OF AUTOANTIBODIES AND INFLAMMATORY INFILTRATION IN THE MUSCLES SUGGESTS THAT IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOSITIS IS AN AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION, BUT THE TARGET AUTOANTIGENS HAVE NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED. APART FROM SYMMETRIC PROXIMAL MUSCLE WEAKNESS, POLYMYOSITIS AND DERMATOMYOSITIS HAVE SEVERAL CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS IN COMMON WHEN COMPARED TO INCLUSION BODY MYOSITIS AND NECROTIZING MYOPATHY AND CAN BE GROUPED FOR DISCUSSION. THE MOST COMMONLY USED CRITERIA FOR PM AND DM ARE PETER/BOHAN CRITERIA: SYMMETRIC PROXIMAL MUSCLE WEAKNESS, ELEVATED SERUM MUSCLE ENZYMES, MYOPATHIC CHANGES IN ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG); CHARACTERISTIC MUSCLE BIOPSY ABNORMALITIES; AND THE TYPICAL RASH OF DERMATOMYOSITIS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DERMATOMYOSITIS AND POLYMYOSITIS AND THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS IN COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE WELL-COORDINATED CARE AND ENHANCE PATIENT OUTCOMES.