Two simultaneous autoimmune processes in a patient presenting with respiratory insufficiency

Abstract

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including dermatomyositis, are uncommon acquired autoimmune diseases, sometimes associated with interstitial lung disease. Myasthenia gravis, a separate autoimmune disorder involving the neuromuscular junction, has some overlapping clinical features but has only rarely been reported to occur simultaneously within the same patient. Here we present the first reported case of concomitant dermatomyositis, myasthenia gravis, and interstitial lung disease.