Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Commons^™

Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Sidra Ishaque, Shakeel Ahmed, Rehan Ali, Khurram Minhas

Section of Internal Medicine

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is an important subtype of dermatomyositis characterized by inflammation of muscle, skin and gastrointestinal tract. A 14-year-old girl, with a history of fever, joint pain, easy fatigability and a rash since the age of 3 years is described. Physical examination, laboratory evaluation, electromyography (EMG) and muscle biopsy were suggestive of a chronic inflammatory process involving the muscles, most likely dermatomyositis. The report highlights the importance of a muscle biopsy as the gold standard for diagnosing dermatomyositis.