The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Dermatomyositis includes the 87 symptoms listed below:
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Ocassionally other symptoms may also present themselves as symptoms of Dermatomyositis. 4 of the more common ones are included in the list below:
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Dermatomyositis includes:
See the full list of 14 alternative diagnoses for Dermatomyositis
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More information about symptoms of Dermatomyositis and related conditions:
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Dermatomyositis are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Dermatomyositis.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Scratching the skin causes vasoconstriction and intensifies pruritus, resulting in erythematous, weeping lesions. Eventually, the lesions become scaly and lichenified. Usually, they’re located in areas of flexion and extension, such as the neck, antecubital fossa, popliteal folds, and behind the ears. Patients with atopic dermatitis are prone to unusually severe viral infections, bacterial and fungal skin infections, ocular complications, and allergic contact dermatitis.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Polymyositis begins acutely or insidiously with muscle weakness, tenderness, and discomfort. It affects proximal muscles more than distal muscles and impairs performance of ordinary activities. The patient may have trouble getting up from a chair, combing his hair, reaching into a high cupboard, climbing stairs, or even raising his head from a pillow. Other muscular symptoms include inability to move against resistance, proximal dysphagia, dysphonia, and difficulty breathing.
In dermatomyositis, an erythematous rash usually erupts on the face, neck, upper back, chest, and arms as well as around the nail beds. A characteristic heliotropic rash appears on the eyelids, accompanied by periorbital edema. Gottron’s papules (violet, flat-topped lesions) may appear on the interphalangeal joints.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Diagnosis requires the presence of the pathognomonic rash plus 3 additional criteria:
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
The most common symptom is muscle weakness, usually affecting those muscles that are closest to the trunk of the body (proximal). Eventually, patients have difficulty rising from a sitting position, climbing stairs, lifting objects, or reaching overhead. In some cases, distal muscles (those not close to the trunk of the body) may also be affected later in the course of the disease. Trouble with swallowing (dysphagia) may occur. Very rarely, the muscles ache and are tender to touch. The disease may be associated with other collagen vascular, autoimmune or infectious disorders. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Polymyositis Information Page: NINDS)
Dermatomyositis is characterized by a rash accompanying, or more often, preceding muscle weakness. The rash is described as patchy, bluish-purple discolorations on the face, neck, shoulders, upper chest, elbows, knees, knuckles, and back. Some patients may also develop hardened bumps of calcium deposits under the skin. The most common symptom is muscle weakness, usually affecting those muscles that are closest to the trunk of the body (proximal). Eventually, patients have difficulty rising from a sitting position, climbing stairs, lifting objects, or reaching overhead. In some cases, distal muscles (those not close to the trunk of the body) may be affected later in the course of the disease. Trouble with swallowing (dysphagia) may occur. Occasionally, the muscles ache and are tender to touch. Patients may also feel fatigue and discomfort and have weight loss or a low-grade fever. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Dermatomyositis Information Page: NINDS)
When considering symptoms of Dermatomyositis, it is also important to consider Dermatomyositis as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Dermatomyositis may cause:
Onset of Dermatomyositis: usually in 4th-6th decade
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Dermatomyositis. This signs and symptoms information for Dermatomyositis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Dermatomyositis signs or Dermatomyositis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Dermatomyositis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Dermatomyositis symptoms.
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