Inflammatory myopathies: One-center experience

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Immunology
• Neurology

Background:

• Inflammatory myositis encompasses a group of rare autoimmune diseases characterized by chronic muscle inflammation.
• Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are the most common subtypes, presenting diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
• Understanding the clinical course and treatment outcomes is crucial for improving patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and outcomes of patients diagnosed with inflammatory myositis.
• To compare the findings with existing literature and identify any unique aspects of the patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of 60 patients diagnosed with inflammatory myositis.
• Data collection included patient demographics, diagnosis subtypes (polymyositis, dermatomyositis, undifferentiated myositis), treatment regimens, and follow-up duration.
• Analysis of survival rates and causes of mortality.

Main Results:

• The study included 60 patients, with 71.7% being female and a median age of 45.
• Polymyositis (55%) was the most frequent diagnosis, followed by dermatomyositis (36.6%).
• Treatment predominantly involved immunosuppressive agents, including oral low-dose steroids (65%) and pulse steroid therapy (31.7%), with azathioprine being common.
• The median follow-up was 37 months. Six patients (10%) died, with causes including myocardial infarction and malignancy.
• The 5-year survival rate was 76.9%, and the 10-year survival rate was 40%.

Conclusions:

• The high proportion of polymyositis cases in this series aligns with literature, though other findings were comparable.
• Few cases exhibited resistance to treatment, leading to infrequent use of biologic agents.
• Standard immunosuppressive and steroid therapies remain central to managing inflammatory myositis.