[Ophthalmoplegia in dermatomyositis]

A case in which apparently myasthenic ophthalmoplegia had been observed more than six years prior to the onset of dermatomyositis is reported. The clinical picture is described and the possibility of a partially common pathogenesis for both forms is mooted. It is suggested that initial local disturbance of neuromuscular transmission was eventually followed by "aggression" against the muscle fibres.