A Little Boy with Facial Erythema

Abstract

Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune connective tissue disease involving the skin and striated muscle, usually including both skin and muscle changes, which can also present as a single aspect of changes. Dermatomyositis can be divided into adult dermatomyositis, dermatomyositis associated with malignancy, juvenile dermatomyositis, dermatomyositis in overlap syndrome, and no myopathic dermatomyositis. Typical lesions of dermatomyositis present as dark violaceous edematous macules on both upper eyelids and the face as well as Gottron’s papules and Gottron’s sign. Juvenile dermatomyositis is a symmetrical inflammatory myositis primarily affecting proximal muscles with characteristic skin lesions in children. In contrast to dermatomyositis, calcinosis is more common in juvenile dermatomyositis, which is a unique cutaneous sign. Juvenile dermatomyositis is divided into two types, Banker type and brunsting type. The brunsting type is generally a relatively benign type, often accompanied by calcinosis phenomenon. Compared with the brunsting type, the banker type is generally more acute, has more dysphagia, intestinal ulcers, will present with fever and leukocytosis and the results of ineffective glucocorticoid therapy. Calcification is the abnormal deposition of insoluble calcium salts in tissues including skin, subcutaneous tissue, tendons, fascia, and muscles. Calcinosis is more common in juvenile dermatomyositis, in contrast to dermatomyositis, which is a unique cutaneous sign. Here we reported a case of juvenile dermatomyositis with generalized erythema calcinosis, and review the literature of juvenile dermatomyositis briefly.