Re- Interstitial lung disease in polymyositis and dermatomyositis

[Guest guest]

THANKS GINA!!!!! I'll keep this in my back pocket. I kind of think

my rheumy/allergist/immunologist will pick up on any change sin the

lung function test, but we'll see...

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> Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2005 Nov;17(6):701-6.

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> Interstitial lung disease in polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

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> Fathi M, Lundberg IE.

>

> Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Karolinska

University

> Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

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>

> PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to discuss

current concepts

> regarding management of interstitial lung disease in polymyositis

and

> dermatomyositis. RECENT FINDINGS: Interstitial lung disease seems

to be a

> more frequent manifestation in patients with polymyositis and

> dermatomyositis than previously reported. Modern technology,

including

> high-resolution computerized tomography in combination with

pulmonary

> function tests provides sensitive tools to detect early signs of

> interstitial lung disease. By systematic use of these

investigations in

> newly diagnosed polymyositis and dermatomyositis, up to two thirds

of

> patients were discovered to have signs of interstitial lung

disease in a

> recent study. Clinical symptoms such as cough and dyspnea may not

be

> sensitive enough to detect interstitial lung disease. Awareness of

this

> complication in patients with myositis is important, because early

diagnosis

> and management of interstitial lung disease may prevent

development of

> chronic pulmonary fibrosis and thereby prolong patient survival

and improve

> quality of life. Treatment recommendations of interstitial lung

disease in

> polymyositis and dermatomyositis are still limited by absence of

controlled

> trials and could only be based on experiences from small case

series and

> case reports. At least some patients with interstitial lung

disease improve

> with immunosuppressive treatment, but data are limited, and

longitudinal

> studies are needed.

>

> SUMMARY: Interstitial lung disease seems to be a common

manifestation in

> patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis already at

diagnosis of the

> muscle disease. When present, interstitial lung disease has a

major effect

> on morbidity and mortality and should be looked for in these

patients using

> high-resolution computerized tomography and pulmonary function

tests early

> in the disease course, because immunosuppressive treatment may

change the

> course of the lung disease.

>

>

> PMID: 16224246

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>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstract & list_uids=16224246 & itool=iconabs

tr & query_hl=1 & itool=pubmed_DocSum

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> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>