CP -Re: Thin Skin and Myositosis

[Guest guest]

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Please do not jump to conclusions that you have Myositosis.

It is usually found in males under the 15 and men over the age 50.

That doesn't sound like your population group.

Next, the literature that I've read say that they are unsure of its origins.

And then start guessing. SO - PLEEEESE don't freak.

The last time that I got some weird sounding medical half-news, it plainly

scared the $#!+ out of me. It could have really been bad. But when all

was said and done ... the final tests came back with no traces of cancer.

Cancer could have been the root cause of my situation .... but it was not.

However, that didn't stop me from being real scared. I'm sure you are

going though some of those head trips too. So - RElax. Worry didn't

help me and it won't help you.

Simply stated it is:

myositis

This term refers to generalised inflammation of the muscles, such as may occur with certain viral illnesses or sometimes as an auto-immune disease.

Here's a support group in eGroups for Myosistosis

http://www.onelist.com/community/OurMyositis

Here's the diagnosis info:

Diagnostic Criteria for the Inflammatory Myopathies

Classification Criteria for Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

Patients presenting at least one item from the first criterion and four items from the second through ninth criteria are said to have dermatomyositis. Patients presenting no items from the first criterion and at least four items from the second through ninth criteria are said to have polymyositis.

Skin lesions

Heliotrope rash (red purple edematous erythema on the upper palpebra) Gottron's sign (red purple keratotic, atrophic erythema, or macules on the extensor surface of finger joints) Erythema on the extensor surface of extremity joints: slightly raised red purple erythema over elbows or knees

Proximal muscle weakness (upper or lower extremity and trunk) Elevated serum CK (creatine kinase) or aldolase level Muscle pain on grasping or spontaneous pain Myogenic changes on EMG (short-duration, polyphasic motor unit potentials with spontaneous fibrillation potentials) Positive anti-Jo-1 (histadyl tRNA synthetase) antibody Nondestructive arthritis or arthralgias Systemic inflammatory signs (fever: more than 37° C at axilla, elevated serum CRP level or accelerated ESR of more than 20 mm/h by the Westergren method) Pathological findings compatible with inflammatory myositis (inflammatory infiltration of skeletal evidence of active regeneration may be seen.)

At least 1 item from 1 and at least 4 items from 2 to 9 = DM. Sensitivity is 94.1% (127/135), and specificity of skin lesions against SLE and SSc is 90.3% (214/237). At least 4 items from 2 to 9 = PM. Sensitivity is 98.9% (180/182) and specificity of PM and DM against all control diseases combined is 95.2% (373/392).

Credits: This material is reprinted by permission from "Classification Criteria for Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis" by Kiyoaki Tanimoto, Keiichiro Nakano, Shogo Kano, Shunji Mori, Hiroaki Ueki, Hiroshi Nishitani, Takeshi Sato, Takahiro Kiuchi, and Yasuo Ohashi as published in The Journal of Rheumatology 1995; 22:4.

Classification and Diagnostic Criteria for Inclusion Body Myositis

I. Characteristic Features - Inclusion Criteria

A. Clinical features

Duration of illness greater than 6 months Age of onset greater than 30 years old Muscle weakness

Must affect proximal and distal muscles of arms and legs and Patient must exhibit at least one of the following features:

Finger flexor weakness Wrist flexor greater than wrist extensor weakness Quadriceps muscle weakness (equal to or less than grade 4 MRC)

B. Laboratory features

Serum creatine kinase less than 12 times normal Muscle biopsy

Inflammatory myopathy characterized by mononuclear cell invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers Vacuolated muscle fibers Either

Intracellular amyloid deposits (must use fluorescent method of identification before excluding the presence of amyloid) or 15-18-nm tubulofilaments by electron microscopy

Electromyography must be consistent with features of an inflammatory myopathy (however, long-duration potentials are commonly observed and do not exclude diagnosis of sporadic inclusion body myositis).

C. Family History

Rarely, inclusion body myositis may be observed in families. This condition is different from hereditary inclusion body myopathy without inflammation. The diagnosis of familial inclusion body myositis requires specific documentation of the inflammatory component by muscle biopsy in addition to vacuolated muscle fibers, intracellular (within muscle fibers) amyloid, and 15-18-nm tubulofilaments.

II. Associated Disorders

Inclusion body myositis occurs with a variety of other, especially immune-mediated conditions. An associated condition does not preclude a diagnosis of inclusion body myositis if diagnostic criteria (below) are fulfilled.

III. Diagnostic Criteria for Inclusion Body Myositis

A. Definite Inclusion Body Myositis

Patient must exhibit all muscle biopsy features including invasion of nonnecrotic fibers by mononuclear cells, vacuolated muscle fibers, and intracellular (within muscle fibers) amyloid deposits or 15-18-nm tubulofilaments. None of the other clinical or laboratory features are mandatory if muscle biopsy features are diagnostic.

B. Possible Inclusion Body Myositis

If the muscle biopsy shows only inflammation (invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers by mononuclear cells) without other pathological features of inclusion body myositis, then a diagnosis of possible inclusion body myositis can be given if the patient exhibits the characteristic clinical (A1,2,3) and laboratory (B1,3) features.

Credits: This table was developed by J. Mendell, R. Barohn, V. Askanas, M. Dalakas, S. DiMauro, A. Engel, G. Karpati, and L.P. Rowland and was originally published in: Griggs RC, Askanas V, DiMauro S, Engel A, Karpati G, Mendell JR, Rowland LP. Inclusion body myositis and myopathies. Ann Neurol 1995;38:705-713.

Reprint permission granted from Little, Brown & Co. to the Myositis Association of America, Inc. 1/19/96.

PS. The CP-R (Chronic Prayer Resources) certainly can't hurt.