Entzündliche myopathien

Abstract

Inflammatory myopathies are heterogeneous disorders. There are autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis, dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. Inflammatory muscle diseases may be associated with collagen-vascular diseases (overlap-syndroms). Myopathies caused by infections of sceletal muscle occur very rare. Dermatomyositis is the most common type of immunoreactive myositis. Polymyositis occurs less frequently than dermatomyositis, overlap-syndroms and inclusion body myositis. Diagnosis requires not only muscle biopsy but is based on the combined results of clinical history and laboratory abnormalities, characteristical electromyographic changes and histological findings. Problems in diagnosis may arise when patients were treated with immunosuppressive drugs before muscle biopsy.