Dermatomyositis causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Possible causes of dermatomyositis could be a viral infection or an autoimmune reaction. It is closely associated with other autoimmune diseases.
Causes
The cause is unknown, but it may result from either a viral infection or an autoimmune reaction. Some cases of dermatomyositis actually "overlap" (are combined with) another autoimmune disease such as lupus, scleroderma, or vasculitis. Because of the link between DM and autoimmune disease, doctors and patients suspecting DM may find it helpful to run an ANA - antinuclear antibody - test, which in cases of a lupus-like nature may be positive (usually from 1:160 to 1:640, with normal ranges at 1:40 and below).
Some cases of DM are a paraneoplastic phenomenon, indicating the presence of cancer.[1] In cases involving cancer, the cancer is usually pre-existent, with removal of the cancer resulting in remission of the DM. The onset of a rash in patients with pre-existing myositis requires investigation of the neoplastic possibility.
In 1988, the noted Lyme disease researcher Dr. Alan Steere observed: "Finally, the perivascular lymphoid infiltrate in clinical myositis does not differ from that seen in polymyositis or dermatomyositis. All of these histologic derangements suggest immunologic damage in response to persistence of the spirochete, however few in number.", in his article, Clinical pathologic correlations of Lyme disease by stage.
References
- ↑ Scheinfeld NS (2006). "Ulcerative paraneoplastic dermatomyositis secondary to metastatic breast cancer". Skinmed. 5 (2): 94–6. doi:10.1111/j.1540-9740.2006.03637.x. PMID 16603844.