Early Pulmonary Manifestations of Dermatomyositis: A Case Report

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic connective tissue disease with a wide range of systemic manifestations. Progressive proximal skeletal muscle weakness and symmetric and inflammatory infiltrates are the main clinical and histological features of DM.

In this study, we report the case of a 43-year-old male with DM and early pulmonary manifestations. A 50 mg/g daily dose of prednisolone was administered for the case. The symptoms of muscle weakness improved after 2 weeks. Commonly, pulmonary diseases occur after the occurrence of other connective tissue diseases. However, in the present case, pulmonary manifestations were observed many years before the incidence of DM symptoms.

The DM with pulmonary involvement is associated with worse outcomes; accordingly, a higher rate of mortality is reported among these patients. Based on the literature, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio are reliable markers for the diagnosis ofDM, along with lung problems.