Christiana had Juvenile Dermatomyositis, which is the disease diagnosed in children who have myositis. Dermatomyositis (DM) affects people of any age or sex, but is found is more women than men. DM is thought to be an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's immune system, which normally fights infections and viruses, does not stop fighting once the infection or virus is gone. The immune system then attacks the body's own normal, healthy tissue through inflammation (IN fluh MAY shun), or swelling.
DM is the easiest type of myositis to diagnose because of the skin rash. The DM rash looks patchy, dusky, and reddish or purple. It is found on the eyelids, cheeks, nose, back, upper chest, elbows, knees and knuckles. Click here to see examples of typical skin symptoms. Some people also have hardened bumps under the skin, called calcinosis (kal si NOH sis). The rash is often seen before muscle weakness is felt. The skin rash and weak muscles are caused by inflammation (IN fluh MAY shun), or swelling, in the blood vessels under the skin and in the muscles, also called vasculitis (vas kyoo LIE tis).
Muscle weakness usually happens over a period of days, weeks or months. Patients who have the skin rash but feel no muscle weakness have amyopathic (a mee yo PATH ik) DM, or DM sine (sin AY) myositis. The weakness begins with muscles that are closest to and within the trunk of the body. Neck, hip, back and shoulder muscles are examples. Some DM patients have muscle pain and difficulty swallowing, or dysphagia (dis FAY je yuh).
(information excerpted from the Myositis Foundation)
