Disease Information

Dermatomyositis Signs & Symptoms

A common complication in any of the rheumatic diseases is Reynaud’s disease, and Dermatomyositis is no different. Dermatomyositis presents symptoms in many ways; however, the most common signs are skin, muscle, and lung issues. The skin usually presents a rash (like a sunburn) that doesn’t go away, there is progressive muscle weakness, and lung inflammation that causes extreme shortness of breath. In this video series, Dr. Eleni Tiniakou, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, explains the common symptoms of Dermatomyositis.

Scleroderma Associated Myopathy – Diagnosis

Scleroderma Associated Myopathy is a muscle disease that Scleroderma patients can develop. Unfortunately, there isn’t very much knowledge about this kind of Myopathy, but the Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Division is working to understand more about this disease. Dr. Julie Paik, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology, explains the complicated nature of this disease.

Scleroderma Associated Myopathy – Signs & Symptoms

The typical symptoms that present in Scleroderma Associated Myopathy are muscle weakness, muscle fatigue, muscle pain, muscle endurance issues, and shortness of breath because of diaphragmatic weakness and cardio involvement. Dr. Julie Paik, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology, explains the symptoms of Scleroderma Associated Myopathy.

Scleroderma Associated Myopathy – Overview

Antisynthetase – Lifestyle Options

It’s very important for people who have Antisynthetase Syndrome to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Depending on the symptoms, it may be hard for patients to exercise without pain, so going to physical or occupational therapy can be very helpful in strengthening the muscles. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, discusses ways to stay healthy and maintain an active lifestyle with Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Antisynthetase – Treatment

Treatment for Antisynthetase Syndrome depends on the symptoms the patient has, but always helps to calm down an overactive nervous system. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, discusses the treatment options for patients with Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Antisynthetase Syndrome Diagnosis

Because patients present with Antisynthetase Syndrome very differently, a diagnosis is often hard to make. The antibodies that a patient makes is necessary to know to diagnose and treat Antisynthetase properly, so a lot of testing is involved. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, discusses the way a patient is diagnosed with Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Antisynthetase Syndrome Signs & Symptoms

While the symptoms of Antisynthetase Syndrome vary greatly from patient to patient, the most common symptoms are muscle weakness, joint pain, and lung inflammation. Because of the varying symptoms of this disease, it is advised for patients to have frequent follow ups with their Rheumatologist. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, explains the signs and symptoms a patient may display with Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Antisynthetase Syndrome Disease Overview

Antisynthetase Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that is a subcategory of Myositis, which means muscle disease. There are many different areas that Antisynthetase Syndrome affects, however, a few common ones are the muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, and joint pain. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, digs into the complicated nature of Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Dermatomyositis Lifestyle Options

Exercising, avoiding the sun, and maintaining a relatively stress-free lifestyle are three ways to stay healthy and avoid flares. In the last episode of this five-part video series, Dr. Eleni Tiniakou, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, explains the steps to living a normal life after a Dermatomyositis diagnosis.

Dermatomyositis Treatment

The goal of treatment in Dermatomyositis is to bring down the immune system so that it stops attacking the healthy tissues in the muscle. There are many side effects of the medication, Prednisone, that is used to treat myositis diseases, so the patient won’t stay on it for long. Scientists and doctors are still looking for alternative medicines that are more effective and less harmful. In this video series, Dr. Eleni Tiniakou, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, explains the treatment options for Dermatomyositis.

Dermatomyositis Diagnosis

The enzymes that indicate Dermatomyositis also indicate liver disease, which is much more common. Most doctors will perform a liver biopsy that shows everything is normal. Then, they will look at the enzymes in the muscle and see that there is a problem. In this video series, Dr. Eleni Tiniakou, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, discusses the process of diagnosing Dermatomyositis.