Therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen on inclusion body myositis

An inflammatory myopathy, inclusion body myositis (IBM) presents with progressive muscle weakness against a background of elevated creatine kinase and diffuse endomysial damage. Typically occurring in patients greater than 50 years of age, it is commonly misdiagnosed as polymyositis or other rheumatological disease and is often ineffectively treated with steroids [1]. The approach to IBM is frequently a clinical challenge due to its unique and often aberrant response to common treatment modalities. Here we report an apparent improvement in the clinical course of and associated laboratory findings in a patient with co-existing IBM following the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjunct for managing ischemic colitis.