[Dermatomyositis. Clinico-histologic study of its skin manifestations]

The clinical and pathological findings in five patients with dermatomyositis are described. The diagnostic value of the cutaneous lesions in the disease, indicating the histological patterns of each cutaneous sign is stressed. Based in our experience and in the reviewed literature, we consider that Gottron's papules and poikilodermatomyositis present histological aspects that allow us to confirm the diagnosis suspected by clinical findings. Likewise we review some special difficult aspects of the disease such as infantile forms, association with neoplasias and overlap syndromes.