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.

Understanding the Context

A blood test also can detect autoantibodies linked with certain symptoms of dermatomyositis. Chest X-ray. This simple test can check for signs of the ... Dermatomyositis (dur-muh-toe-my-uh-SY-tis) is a condition in which swelling and irritation, called inflammation, attacks the body's tissues.

Key Insights

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. In children, it most ...

Final Thoughts

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-1ฮณ antibody positive but there are quite a few members and discussions that mention Dermatomyositis.