[Inspiratory muscle myopathy and antisynthetase syndrome]

Respiratory muscle involvement is a rarely reported manifestation of inflammatory myopathies. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman with antisynthetase syndrome who presented with inflammatory myopathy and acute pulmonary interstitial involvement that initially improved with corticosteroids and immunoglobulins. A few months later dyspnoea resumed despite the absence of evidence of interstitial deterioration or other common diagnosis including vascular or infectious disorders. Isolated respiratory muscular involvement was evidenced by functional testing. Disease course was favourable with corticosteroids and immunoglobulins. Inflammatory myopathy of the antisynthetases syndrome could be limited or mainly expressed to respiratory muscles. Unexplained dyspnoea should call in mind a muscular respiratory myositis.