Review of twelve cases of dermatopolymyositis

A description is given of the main clinical characteristics of polymyositis and dermatomyositis in twelve patients, as well as the evolution of the illness and the response to treatment. The series is composed of three males (25%) and nine females (75%). The age of presentation varies between four and 76 years. Regarding general manifestations, a third of the patients presented fever at the onset of the illness. Loss of weight was verified in four, varying between four and 22 kg from the onset of the symptomatology. Two patients presented adult polymyositis, which represents 16%. The most frequent form was typical adult dermatomyositis, found in seven patients (58.3%). Inflammatory myositis associated with neoplasia was found in one patient (8.3%). The infantile form is described in one patient (8.3%), and myositis associated with overlap syndromes was present in one patient (8.3%). We should point out the pulmonary disorder presented with all certainty in one case, and in another the presence of pneumonitis along with muscular symptomatology. We also point out the existence in our series of a patient that presented the illness after being treated with penicillamine. The response to short-term steroid treatment was favorable in all the cases described. Finally, we cannot make any comments on the prognostic factors of the illness because of the short period of time these patients have been under treatment.