Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) also known as inflammatory myopathies

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies is the name given to a non-hereditary group of conditions caused by inflammation in the muscles or associated tissue.

There are two types of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies; dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

IIM may cause symptoms such as a rash, joint and muscle pain, difficulty in using stairs, and fatigue. Weakness manifests in the shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs and neck muscles.

Dermatomyositis

The muscles of the hips and thighs, the upper arms, the upper part of the back, the shoulder area and the neck are most commonly affected by Dermatomyositis.

Dermatomyositis is unique among muscle conditions in that it presents in the skin often with scaly, dry and rough lesions (hence the word ‘dermato’).

Reddish or purple skin lesions, most likely caused by inflammation of surface blood vessels, may develop over the face, neck, chest, shoulders, and upper back, similar to a shawl, and/or elbows, knees, knuckles, and ankles.

The skin may be scaly, dry and rough. Sometimes it looks like a sunburn.

Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

Polymyositis

The muscles of the hips and thighs, the upper arms, the upper part of the back, the shoulder area and the neck are most commonly affected by Polymyositis.

Polymyositis can also cause inflammatory cardiomyopathy, which is a condition of the heart muscle. The breathing muscles may become affected, and some people may experience inflammation of the lungs themselves, another respiratory complication.

Certainly, Polymyositis’s most serious effects are heart, respiratory, and swallowing problems, which must be closely monitored.

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