Polymyositis: A Case Report

Abstract

Inflammatory myopathies are a group of diseases whose common pathway is immune-mediated muscle damage, one of which is polymyositis. The definition of polymyositis is controversial, with proponents advocating a definition based on immunohistochemical and histopathological findings in muscle biopsies, while other proponents advocate a definition based on clinical manifestations and histopathological findings. Polymyositis is a quite rare disease that is clinically characterized by progressive proximal muscle weakness with a symmetric distribution. Within the diagnostic approach, laboratory studies show elevation of sarcoplasmic enzymes; nerve conduction tests are performed, which may aid in distinguishing myopathic causes of weakness from neuropathic disorders; and muscle biopsy is considered the gold standard to diagnose inflammatory myopathy and to distinguish the subclasses. We report the case of a 61-year-old male patient who presented generalized symmetrical weakness, predominantly in the upper extremities, and dysphagia, whose laboratory studies, autoantibodies, and muscle biopsy were confirmatory of this entity.

Part of CIRS Nexus · Curated by Lauren Lowenstein, The Biotoxin Lady

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