Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
08:01
Cutaneous Surgical Denervation: A Method for Testing the Requirement for Nerves in Mouse Models of Skin Disease
Published on: June 26, 2016
9.5K
Dermatomyositis-associated sensory neuropathy: a unifying pathogenic hypothesis
Thy P Nguyen1, Carolyn Bangert, Suur Biliciler
1Departments of *Neurology, and †Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX.
Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease
|August 20, 2014
Summary
Neuropathy can be an underrecognized extramuscular sign of dermatomyositis (DM). Complement-mediated damage may unify muscle and nerve injury in DM patients with neuropathy.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy with characteristic skin and muscle involvement.
- Neuropathy as an extramuscular manifestation of DM is debated due to rarity and unclear pathogenesis.
Observation:
- A patient presented with classic DM symptoms, including rash and proximal muscle weakness.
- The patient also exhibited sensory impairment in distal extremities and the nose.
- Electromyography/nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) indicated myopathy and mild sensory neuropathy.
Findings:
- Muscle biopsy revealed features consistent with DM, including C5b-9 complement complex deposition.
- Sural nerve biopsy showed evidence of both large and small sensory fiber neuropathy.
- Laboratory tests showed elevated creatine kinase (CK) and positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA); other neuropathy causes were excluded.
Implications:
- This case suggests neuropathy may be an underrecognized extramuscular manifestation of DM.
- The presence of complement deposits (C5b-9) in nerve pathology offers a potential unifying pathogenetic mechanism for both muscle and nerve damage in DM.
More Related Videos
08:33Targeting Alpha Synuclein Aggregates in Cutaneous Peripheral Nerve Fibers by Free-floating Immunofluorescence Assay
Published on: June 25, 2019
7.7K
09:39Establishing a Mouse Model of a Pure Small Fiber Neuropathy with the Ultrapotent Agonist of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1
Published on: February 13, 2018
9.1K
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetic Neuropathy
42
DefinitionDiabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by long-standing diabetes mellitus. It results directly from prolonged high blood sugar levels.PathophysiologyThe pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy involves both metabolic and vascular disturbances triggered by chronic hyperglycemia.Metabolic injury: Elevated glucose levels activate the polyol pathway within nerve cells, leading to the accumulation of sorbitol and fructose. This increases oxidative stress, disrupts normal nerve...
42
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
3.2K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
3.2K
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
9.9K
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
9.9K
01:22Myasthenia Gravis ll: Pathophysiology
41
The disease process of myasthenia gravis begins at the neuromuscular junction, where antibodies attack key proteins needed for muscle activation. This immune reaction weakens signal transmission, leading to the characteristic muscle fatigue and weakness that define the condition.Immune-Mediated DamageIn most individuals, antibodies target acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on the postsynaptic membrane of muscle cells. By blocking acetylcholine binding, these antibodies prevent the nerve signal...
41
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
16
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
16
01:26Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
17
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
17