Myopathies in clinical care: a focus on treatable causes

Myopathies are a group of disorders that affect the skeletal muscles, manifesting as weakness, fatigue, or pain. Generally, they are classified as acquired or inherited. It is important to note that while most acquired myopathies are treatable, in the advent of targeted molecular and gene-based therapy, some inherited forms now have effective therapeutic options. These myopathies can be classified based on their underlying causes, including infections, autoimmune disorders leading to muscle inflammation, metabolic abnormalities within muscle cells, skeletal muscle channel dysfunctions, critical illness myopathy, and inherited conditions such as muscular dystrophies. In this review, we first present a clinical approach to neuromuscular diseases and subsequently place specific emphasis on myopathies, particularly those with established or emerging treatment options.