Myositis

Original Editor - Lucinda hampton

Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton  

Introduction

Myositis is a group of rare conditions where the body’s immune system turns against itself and destroys healthy muscle tissue instead of building new muscle tissue. Myositis is also known as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). This set of acquired diseases affect the muscle but may additionally affect other organs.

Sub-Types

Include these types:

• Dermatomyositis, which can affect the muscle and presents with a typical skin rash.
• Inclusion body myositis, with a purely muscular expression and leads to a slow progressive deficit
• Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathies, with a severe muscle involvement often presents from the onset of the disease
• Antisynthetase syndrome, which combines muscle damage, joint involvement and a potentially life-threatening lung disease
• Overlapping myositis, which combines muscle damage with other organs involvement connected to another autoimmune disease.

Diagnosis of Myositis

Diagnosis is based on diligent clinical examination, electromyographic studies and immunological testing for myositis specific antibodies. Muscle biopsy is no longer routinely recommended when the antibodies are typical, unless the form of IIM issometimes difficult to classify.

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