[Comprehensive understanding and study on idiopathic inflammatory myopathies to improve its diagnosis and treatment]

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies(IIM) are a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by muscle inflammation and progressive weakness. Diagnosis of IIM relies on the combination of clinical manifestation, blood biochemical indicators, myositis specific antibodies, electromyogram and pathology of muscle. Classification criteria of IIM keeps developing, and different criteria has different value on clinical application. IIM may involve important organs such as skin, joint, cardiac muscle and lung, except for skeletal muscle. Internal organs involvement should be evaluated and predicted, which could help to improve the prognosis of IIM. It is necessary to evaluate the disease activity objectively and accurately, which now could be accomplished with uniform and standardized clinical assessment system established by international organizations as the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group. The immune pathological progress of IIM has already been well-known but the pathogenesis mechanism needs further study. Comprehensive evaluation of disease activity and organ damage need be emphasized before the beginning of treatments. Treatment strategies should be individualized, and the side effects of therapeutic drugs should be monitored. Multidisciplinary collaboration contributes to the improvement of diagnosis and therapy for IIM.