Clinical Manifestations of Dermatomyositis

This study analyzed the clinical manifestations of dermatomyositis (DM) in 18 patients, with a male to female ratio of 1:8 and ages ranging from 3 to 72 years. The study found that 61.1% of patients had DM, while 38.9% had amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM). Common symptoms included skin rash (100%), itching (72.2%), and proximal muscle weakness (61.1%). Gottron's sign was the most frequent skin rash (83.3%). Elevated serum levels of CPK, LDH, SGOT, SGPT, and ESR were observed in varying percentages of patients. Treatment involved prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine, with methotrexate added for severe cases. ADM patients were primarily treated with hydroxychloroquine, with some receiving additional prednisolone.