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Dermatomyositis, Skin

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Medical Immunology

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Synonyms

Amyopathic dermatomyositis; Dermatomyositis sine myositis; Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy

Definition

Dermatomyositis is a progressive connective tissue disorder characterized by inflammatory and degenerative changes of the muscles and skin.

Clinical Presentation

The cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis are arguably the most distinct and dramatic of any other autoimmune connective tissue disease. Once recognized, the clinician may establish the diagnosis even when there is histologic as well as serologic ambiguity. The unique quality of the rash is as important as its typical location pattern. Lesions typically present as patches or plaques, and all are characterized by either pink or violaceous erythema that can be with or without scale. The heliotrope eruption of the eyelids, as is typical for most of the cutaneous findings in dermatomyositis, is very distinctive and may be associated with persistent periocular edema. However, it may initially be thought to be...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA

    David Fiorentino

  2. Dermatology and Medicine (Rheumatology), Skin Lupus and Autoimmune Connective Tissue Disease Section, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew G. Franks Jr.

Authors
  1. David Fiorentino
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  2. Andrew G. Franks Jr.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Fiorentino .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Ian R. Mackay

  2. Center for Autoimmune Disease Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Noel R. Rose

  3. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA

    Betty Diamond

  4. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA

    Anne Davidson

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Fiorentino, D., Franks, A.G. (2014). Dermatomyositis, Skin. In: Mackay, I.R., Rose, N.R., Diamond, B., Davidson, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medical Immunology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-84828-0_278

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-84828-0_278

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-84827-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-84828-0

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