[Immunosuppressive treatment of polymyositis]

Azathioprine (150 mg daily) was given to 14 patients with polymyositis. Most of the patients also received prednisolone (initial dose 80-40 mg daily, maintenance dose 15-5 mg daily). Some patients additionally received 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate and (or) cactinomycin. Symptoms practically disappeared in three patients, while in four there was marked improvement, in four others moderate improvement occurred. Four patients who were improved had previously received long-term treatment with high doses of corticoids but without response. There were three deaths; treatment had definitely failed in one, in the other two the duration of treatment had been too short. Results were best in patients under 40 years of age in whom the disease had followed an acute or subacute course: in two of seven in this group corticoid treatment had previously failed. This fact, as well as the observation of exacerbations when immuno-suppressives were reduced, indicate the value of this form of treatment.