Physiotherapy and biokinetics can be essential in the management of a variety of autoimmune diseases. Dermatomyositis is one of the diseases which we will be unpacking.

What is dermatomyositis?

Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes muscle inflammation and skin rash.

It is a systemic connective tissue disease, found in the rheumatoid family. Dermatomyositis can be characterized by inflammatory and degenerative changes which primarily affect muscles and skin.

Causes of dermatomyositis:

Inflammatory myopathies are immune-mediated processes triggered by environmental factors in genetically susceptible people.

The exact cause is not known, but possible causes include:

Abnormal genes you are born with
Cancer, especially in older people
Autoimmune disease, a type of illness that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues
An infection, medication, or another exposure in your environment that triggers the disease

Epidemiology of dermatomyositis

There is an estimated prevalence of 5-22 per 100 000 persons who have dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

Dermatomyositis is most common in two age groups with one peak at 5-15 years and another at 45-60.

Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with the disease. In some cases, people with the disease also have a connective tissue disorder, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Characteristics:

Progressive symmetric muscle weakness primarily in muscles of proximal joints, neck, and pharynx
Dusky skin rash (potentially scaly, elevated, or smooth)
Gottron’s sign is a flat red rash over the back of the fingers, elbows, or knees
Muscular pain and tenderness
Subcutaneous calcifications
Fatigue
Fever
Weight loss
Difficulty swallowing
Cardiopulmonary involvement (arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, or ventricular hypertrophy).