Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis Quiz
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Rashes
Redness of the skin
Fatigued
Muscle pain
Lost weight recently
Yellow nails
Have a fever
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis?
These are inflammatory conditions of the body's connective tissues. In polymyositis, muscle fibers become inflamed, leading to weakness. In dermatomyositis, both muscle as well as skin are involved leading to a very characteristic facial rash. There is no clear cause for these conditions.
Typical Symptoms of Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis
- Choking while eating
- Change in nail color
- Hard or stiff skin
- Fever
- Blood in urine
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty standing up from sitting position
- Upper jaw pain
Diagnostic Questions for Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Do you have difficulty swallowing food?
- Did your nail color change?
- Have you noticed any hard or stiff areas on your skin?
- Do you have a fever?
- Do you have blood in your urine?
Treatment of Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis
Treatment involves anti-inflammatory medications, including steroids and other medications to suppress the immune system. Physical therapy with muscle strengthening and exercise are also important components for treatment.
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Choking on food often
- Food going down the wrong pipe
- Scars or marks from the rash/wound
- Food stuck in throat
- Discoloration of the nails
- Fear of choking while eating
- Gross hematuria
- Choking on food more frequently
- Hard fingertips
- The nail has a black streak
- My body is hot
- Ingrown nails
- Tightening of the skin of the fingers
- Abdominal pain
- Spots on the nails
See full list
Symptoms Related to Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis
Diseases Related to Polymyositis / Dermatomyositis
FAQs
Q.
Muscle Weakness? Why Your Body Attacks Itself & Medically Approved Myositis Next Steps
A.
Progressive, symmetric muscle weakness, trouble climbing stairs or raising arms, swallowing issues, or a new rash can signal myositis, an autoimmune attack on muscle; diagnosis typically uses CK and myositis autoantibodies, MRI, EMG, and sometimes biopsy, and early treatment can include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, IVIG or biologics plus supervised physical therapy. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more, including when to seek urgent care for breathing or swallowing problems, how dermatomyositis may prompt cancer screening, practical next steps like tracking symptoms, asking for blood tests and a rheumatology or neurology referral, and other conditions that can mimic myositis.
References:
* Dalakas MC. Inflammatory muscle diseases. N Engl J Med. 2015 Oct 15;373(16):1534-46. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1402222. PMID: 26465987.
* Pachman LM. Juvenile Dermatomyositis: New Developments in Pathogenesis and Targeted Therapies. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2015 Jan;11(1):50-9. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2014.150. Epub 2014 Sep 16. PMID: 25224328; PMCID: PMC4272102.
* Miller FW, Rider LG, Chung YL, Katz JD, Salajegheh M, Wortmann RL, Mammen AL. Classification and management of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2022 Nov 1;34(6):348-356. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000918. Epub 2022 Aug 23. PMID: 36000094; PMCID: PMC9604812.
* Dalakas MC. Immunotherapy of inflammatory myopathies: current status and future prospects. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010 Sep;6(9):503-12. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2010.111. Epub 2010 Aug 3. PMID: 20680004.
* Dimachkie MM, Amato AA. Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies. Semin Neurol. 2014 Oct;34(4):469-80. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1390382. Epub 2014 Nov 25. PMID: 25420376.
Q.
Muscle Weakness and Rash? The Dermatomyositis Reality & Medical Next Steps
A.
Muscle weakness with a violet or scaly rash can signal dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease that targets muscles and skin and often causes progressive, symmetrical proximal weakness, so prompt medical evaluation is important because early treatment improves outcomes. There are several factors to consider; see below for hallmark rashes, look alike conditions, the tests doctors use, treatment choices, cancer screening considerations, and step by step next actions including when to seek urgent care for breathing or swallowing problems.
References:
* Meyer A, Rutter-Locher M, De Jong H, de Masson A, Paoloni M, Piga D, Mariampillai O, Peller T, Benveniste O, Vleugels RA, Lundberg IE, Christopher-Stine L, Gherardi RK, Allenbach Y. 2024 ACR/EULAR Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis Classification Criteria. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024 Feb;76(2):147-159. doi: 10.1002/art.42777. PMID: 38222629.
* Muro Y, Sugiura K. Dermatomyositis: New Avenues in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Front Immunol. 2022 Mar 10;13:836371. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.836371. PMID: 35340624; PMCID: PMC8946766.
* Duarte E, Correia C, Costa E, Leal B. Current perspectives on the treatment of dermatomyositis. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2021 Mar 10;13:1759720X21997368. doi: 10.1177/1759720X21997368. PMID: 33767756; PMCID: PMC7957906.
* Miller ML, Salajegheh M. Dermatomyositis: diagnosis and management. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2020 Jan 20;22(1):4. doi: 10.1007/s11926-020-0887-1. PMID: 31959955.
* Pernicone D, Ierardi A, Reginato M, D'Angelo R, Mazzola M, Caramella D, La Barbera G, Marra P, Sardanelli F, Sconfienza LM. The spectrum of dermatomyositis: a review of clinical and pathological features. J Clin Med. 2020 Nov 24;9(12):3798. doi: 10.3390/jcm9123798. PMID: 33246321; PMCID: PMC7760368.
Q.
Is it Polio? Why Your Muscles are Weakening & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Muscle weakness is rarely due to polio in vaccinated communities, but seek urgent care for sudden or rapidly worsening weakness, trouble breathing or swallowing, or new paralysis; vaccination status and recent travel help gauge your risk. There are several factors to consider, including more common causes like inflammatory muscle disease, nerve problems, thyroid or medication effects, and the medically approved next steps are to confirm vaccines, track symptoms, see a clinician promptly, and go to the ER for red flags. See below for complete details that could affect your next steps.
References:
* Maugham RD Jr, Reddivari AKR. Poliomyelitis. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557769/
* Messacar K, et al. Acute flaccid myelitis: a polio-like syndrome. Lancet Neurol. 2020 Jan;19(1):15-17. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30441-1. PMID: 31839446.
* Troxell ML, et al. Post-polio syndrome: diagnosis and management. Pract Neurol. 2022 Dec;22(6):506-512. doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2022-003328. PMID: 36261298.
* Selcen D. Approach to the Patient with Neuromuscular Weakness. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2022 Aug 1;28(4):1122-1144. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000001150. PMID: 35948792.
* Tangermann RH, et al. Global polio eradication initiative: The final push. Vaccine. 2021 Nov 1;39(46):6707-6715. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.09.071. PMID: 34593457.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Qudsiya Z, Waseem M. Dermatomyositis. 2023 Aug 7. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 32644343.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32644343/Sarwar A, Dydyk AM, Jatwani S. Polymyositis. [Updated 2023 Feb 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563129/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563129/