The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Workforce
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Myopathies

Myopathies

May 1, 2009 • By Staff

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Myopathy is the medical term for muscle disease. Patients with myopathy develop weakness in the large muscles around the neck, shoulders, and hips. This causes difficulty in climbing stairs, getting up from a chair or toilet seat, or reaching for objects overhead. Some patients with myopathy develop weakness of the throat muscles involved in swallowing, and this may cause choking or aspiration of food into the lungs when eating. Others may experience shortness of breath and cough due to inflammation of the lungs.

You Might Also Like
  • Metabolic Myopathies
  • ACR 2013 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium: How to Identify Signs of Myositis and Metabolic Myopathies
  • ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2012: Use a Combination of Tests, Patient History, and Physical Exam when Assessing Myopathies
Explore This Issue
May 2009
Also By This Author
  • Coding Corner Answer

Two types of inflammatory myopathies are polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Polymyositis is an inflammation of the muscle tissue that leads to weakness, and dermatomyositis is characterized by immune inflammation of muscles, as well as by the presence of a rash. This rash, which appears as a purple or red discoloration of the upper eyelids, is present in almost all children with inflammatory myopathy. “People with dermatomyositis may also have lung inflammation (pneumonitis), and children may have an inflammation of the blood vessels and calcium deposits in the skin referred to as calcinosis,” explains patient fact sheet author Marc Miller, MD, of Rheumatology Associates in Portland, Maine.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Inflammatory myopathies are rare diseases, and polymyositis and dermatomyositis occur in approximately one person in 100,000. All age groups are affected, with peak incidence between the ages of five and 10 in children and between the ages of 40 and 50 in adults. Women are affected about twice as often as men, all ethnic groups are affected, and it is not possible at this time to predict who will develop an inflammatory myopathy.

A diagnosis of myopathy is suspected when patients complain of difficulty performing tasks that require muscle strength or when they develop certain rashes or respiratory problems. To establish a diagnosis, perform a muscle-strength examination to determine if true muscle weakness is present. This likely will be followed by a blood test to measure the level of various muscle enzymes, an electromyogram to gauge electrical activity in muscle, and finally a biopsy of a weak muscle. Sometimes MRI scanning can help to establish the presence of abnormal muscle.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Treatment depends on the type of myopathy diagnosed. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are usually treated with medications. An oral corticosteroid, such as prednisone, is usually administered in high doses once the diagnosis has been established. “Methotrexate or azathioprine are usually added to ensure better long-term control of the disease and to avoid long-term side effects of cortisone,” explains Dr. Miller. In severe or treatment-resistant cases, additional measures may include intravenous immunoglobulin and other immunosuppressive medications.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: From the College Tagged With: Diagnosis, Myopathies, Patient Fact Sheet, TreatmentIssue: May 2009

You Might Also Like:
  • Metabolic Myopathies
  • ACR 2013 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium: How to Identify Signs of Myositis and Metabolic Myopathies
  • ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2012: Use a Combination of Tests, Patient History, and Physical Exam when Assessing Myopathies
  • Inflammatory Myopathies Difficult to Diagnose, Treat

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.