Vasculitis and calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis of childhood onset is characterized by vasculitic lesions and often complicated by calcinosis. We describe 32 patients with juvenile dermatomyositis. All suffered from vasculitic skin changes like facial erythema often with edema, Gottron's sign, telangiectasias, erythematous eruptions, different rashes and necrotic ulcerations. Vasculitis appeared also in inner organs as gastrointestinal ulceration, neurologic and cardiac manifestation. 4 children complained of Raynaud's phenomenon. Calcinosis of soft tissues developed in 21 patients within 0.5 to 10 years after onset. In 6 of them we saw regression of calcium deposits after a progressive phase of 1 to 5 years. Functional outcome in juvenile dermatomyositis depends mainly on the degree of calcinosis together with shortening of diseased muscles.