What is the difference between polymyositis and dermatomyositis?
Polymyositis causes muscle weakness, usually in the muscles closest to the trunk of your body. Dermatomyositis causes muscle weakness, plus a skin rash.
What are the symptoms of polymyositis and dermatomyositis?
Both Polymyositis and dermatomyositis have symptoms in common with sclerosis or sometimes lupus….The symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness.
- Contraction of the arms and legs.
- Shortness of breath.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Muscle tenderness or pain.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon.
- Fever.
What causes dermatomyositis?
The cause of dermatomyositis is unknown, but the disease has much in common with autoimmune disorders, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body tissues. Genetic and environmental factors also might play a role.
Is polymyositis serious?
If polymyositis is not treated, it can lead to severe complications. As the muscles become weaker, you may fall often and be limited in your daily activities. If the muscles in the digestive tract and chest wall are affected, you may have problems breathing (respiratory failure), malnutrition, and weight loss.
Can polymyositis cause death?
The 5-year survival rate for adults with polymyositis, according to Merck Manual, is 75 to 80%. Death may result from consequences of severe and progressive muscle weakness. People who have cardiac or pulmonary involvement seem to have a worse prognosis. That can also be said of polymyositis patients with cancer.
Is polymyositis painful?
Myositis is the name for a group of rare conditions. The main symptoms are weak, painful or aching muscles. This usually gets worse, slowly over time.
What is the life expectancy of polymyositis?
What is the prognosis for patients diagnosed with polymyositis? The 5-year survival rate for adults with polymyositis, according to Merck Manual, is 75 to 80%. Death may result from consequences of severe and progressive muscle weakness. People who have cardiac or pulmonary involvement seem to have a worse prognosis.
What is the life expectancy of someone with dermatomyositis?
– Raynaud’s phenomenon. This condition causes your fingers, toes, cheeks, nose and ears to turn pale when exposed to cold temperatures. – Other connective tissue diseases. Other conditions — such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjogren’s syndrome — can occur with dermatomyositis. – Cardiovascular disease. – Lung disease. – Cancer.
How to diagnose polymyositis?
Symmetrical muscle weakness in the shoulders/upper arms or hips/upper legs and trunk
Does polymyositis go away?
Does polymyositis go away? In many cases, there has been long remission from the condition of polymyositis; but this depends on how fast the treatment has been started. Though there is no complete cure for polymyositis, with early treatment, the problems and complications can be reduced to a great extent.