Diseases

Dermatomyositis

A subacute or chronic inflammatory disease of muscle and skin, marked by proximal muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash. The illness occurs with approximately equal frequency in children and adults. The skin lesions usually take the form of a purplish rash (or less often an exfoliative dermatitis) involving the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper trunk, and arms. The disease is associated with a complement mediated intramuscular microangiopathy, leading to loss of capillaries, muscle ischemia, muscle-fiber necrosis, and perifascicular atrophy. The childhood form of this disease tends to evolve into a systemic vasculitis. Dermatomyositis may occur in association with malignant neoplasms. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1405-6)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A subacute or chronic inflammatory disease of muscle and skin, marked by proximal muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash. The illness occurs with approximately equal frequency in children and adults. The skin lesions usually take the form of a purplish rash (or less often an exfoliative dermatitis) involving the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper trunk, and arms. The disease is associated with a complement mediated intramuscular microangiopathy, leading to loss of capillaries, muscle ischemia, muscle-fiber necrosis, and perifascicular atrophy. The childhood form of this disease tends to evolve into a systemic vasculitis. Dermatomyositis may occur in association with malignant neoplasms. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1405-6)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

11 entry terms
  • Dermatopolymyositis
  • Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis
  • Polymyositis Dermatomyositis
  • Dermatomyositis, Adult Type
  • Dermatomyositis, Childhood Type
  • Juvenile Dermatomyositis
  • Juvenile Myositis
  • Adult Type Dermatomyositis
  • Childhood Type Dermatomyositis
  • Dermatomyositis, Juvenile
  • Myositis, Juvenile

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

coordinate with PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROMES if pertinent

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C05w.651w.594w.819w.500w
  2. C10w.668w.491w.562w.575w.500w
  3. C17.300w.250w
  4. C17.800w.185w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WE 550

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Dermatomyositis. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D003882. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D003882
  2. Dermatomyositis. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatomyositis
  3. Dermatomyositis. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q681160