Cardiac and central nervous system vasculitis in a child with dermatomyositis

Cerebral vasculitis and clinically important myocardial inflammation are rare in juvenile dermatomyositis. We report a previously healthy 6-year-old girl with dermatomyositis who died after a fulminating clinical deterioration. Postmortem examination of the heart revealed characteristic endothelial tubuloreticular aggregates and evidence of capillary necrosis and secondary thrombosis, associated with extensive hemorrhagic myocardial necrosis. Endothelial necrosis was also evident in the cerebrocortical capillaries.