Belonging to the same group of autoimmune diseases, both dermatomyositis and polymyositis cause muscle inflammation and weakness. But dermatomyositis also affects your skin and is more likely to ... Dermatomyositis (dur-muh-toe-my-uh-SY-tis) is a condition in which swelling and irritation, called inflammation, attacks the body's tissues.

Understanding the Context

Dermatomyositis causes muscle weakness and a skin rash. The condition, also called an autoimmune condition, isn't common. It can affect adults and children. In adults, dermatomyositis most often happens in the late 40s to early 60s.

Key Insights

In children, it most ... To diagnose dermatomyositis, a healthcare professional does a physical exam and checks muscle strength. The following tests may help with diagnosis: Blood tests. A blood test may show higher levels of muscle enzymes, which can mean muscle damage. A blood test also can detect autoantibodies linked with certain symptoms of dermatomyositis.

Final Thoughts

Chest X-ray. This simple test can check for signs of the ... Muscle weakness and a skin rash are hallmarks of dermatomyositis. There's no cure, but treatments can relieve symptoms. People with inflammatory muscle diseases are seen in the Inflammatory Myositis Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in collaboration with colleagues at the Arizona and Florida campuses. The major muscle diseases that are diagnosed and treated include adult and juvenile dermatomyositis, polymyositis, necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy) and inclusion ...

@pm56, I did a search of Connect but didn't find a member with the specific Anti-TIF-1γ antibody positive but there are quite a few members and discussions that mention Dermatomyositis. Commercial autoantibody testing showed no significant differences in the prevalence of myositis-specific and myositis-associated autoantibodies between patients with classic dermatomyositis and those ... Dermatomyositis is a rare muscle disease that causes inflammation of the muscles, skin, and blood vessels. It may also affect other organs, such as the heart and lungs.