Symptoms of dermatomyositis can occur in both sexes and but affects women far more often than men. Dermatomyositis can occur at any age but is most common in school-age children and middle-age adults.
The primary symptoms of dermatomyositis is muscle weakness and a skin rash. Muscle weakness tends to occur in the upper arms, shoulders, thighs and hips. The muscle weakness can occur suddenly or it can develop slowly over weeks to months. Muscle weakness can come and go. In some cases dermatomyositis disappears on its own without treatment and does not recur.
The muscle weakness can progress and lead to difficulties performing the activities of daily living, such as dressing, walking, bathing, and eating. Other symptoms of dermatomyositis can include muscle pain, joint pain, joint swelling, weight loss, fever, and fatigue.
Dermatomyositis can also affect the muscles of the throat, esophagus and lungs. This can lead to difficulty breathing, cough, difficulty speaking, and difficulty swallowing. Complications can include the development of infection, malnutrition, gastrointestinal ulcerations, and pneumonia. In some cases these complications and/or coexisting lung cancer can be fatal.
The skin rash of dermatomyositis generally affects the face, shoulders, elbows, knuckles, ankles, and knees. The skin rash appears red in color....more about Dermatomyositis »
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Dermatomyositis includes the 87 symptoms listed below:
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Ocassionally other symptoms may also present themselves as symptoms of Dermatomyositis. 4 of the more common ones are included in the list below:
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Dermatomyositis includes:
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The most common symptom is muscle weakness, usually affecting those muscles that are closest to the trunk of the body (proximal). Eventually, patients have difficulty rising from a sitting position, climbing stairs, lifting objects, or reaching overhead. In some cases, distal muscles (those not close to the trunk of the body) may also be affected later in the course of the disease. Trouble with swallowing (dysphagia) may occur. Very rarely, the muscles ache and are tender to touch. The disease may be associated with other collagen vascular, autoimmune or infectious disorders. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Polymyositis Information Page: NINDS)
Dermatomyositis is characterized by a rash accompanying, or more often, preceding muscle weakness. The rash is described as patchy, bluish-purple discolorations on the face, neck, shoulders, upper chest, elbows, knees, knuckles, and back. Some patients may also develop hardened bumps of calcium deposits under the skin. The most common symptom is muscle weakness, usually affecting those muscles that are closest to the trunk of the body (proximal). Eventually, patients have difficulty rising from a sitting position, climbing stairs, lifting objects, or reaching overhead. In some cases, distal muscles (those not close to the trunk of the body) may be affected later in the course of the disease. Trouble with swallowing (dysphagia) may occur. Occasionally, the muscles ache and are tender to touch. Patients may also feel fatigue and discomfort and have weight loss or a low-grade fever. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Dermatomyositis Information Page: NINDS)
When considering symptoms of Dermatomyositis, it is also important to consider Dermatomyositis as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Dermatomyositis may cause:
Onset of Dermatomyositis: usually in 4th-6th decade
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Dermatomyositis. This signs and symptoms information for Dermatomyositis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Dermatomyositis signs or Dermatomyositis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Dermatomyositis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Dermatomyositis symptoms.
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