What are the first signs of polymyositis?

The common symptoms of polymyositis include:

• Muscle pain and stiffness.
• Muscle weakness, particularly in the belly (abdomen), shoulders, upper arms, and hips.
• Joint pain and stiffness.
• Trouble catching your breath.
• Problems with swallowing.
• Irregular heart rhythms, if the heart muscle becomes inflamed.

When should you suspect dermatomyositis?

When to suspect the diagnosis — The diagnosis of dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) should be suspected in patients who present with proximal muscle weakness. The suspicion for DM in particular should be further increased if the patient has a cutaneous eruption suggestive of DM.

How do you rule out polymyositis?

Diagnosis

1. Blood tests. A blood test will let your doctor know if you have elevated levels of muscle enzymes, which can indicate muscle damage.
2. Electromyography. This test involves inserting a thin needle electrode through the skin into the muscle.
3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
4. Muscle biopsy.

Does EMG show myopathy?

Electromyography. Needle EMG examination is the most informative part of the EDX study in myopathic disorders. It can confirm the presence of a myopathy, narrow down the differential, and identify an appropriate biopsy site. The number and location of muscles studied depends on the pattern of weakness.

What does polymyositis pain feel like?

muscle weakness. aching or painful muscles and feeling very tired. finding it hard to sit up, or stand after a fall. swallowing problems, or finding it hard to hold your head up.

What can be mistaken for dermatomyositis?

Many skin conditions, including psoriasis, eczema and verrucae vulgaris can mimic the characteristic Gottron’s papules of dermatomyositis, and allergies can mimic the heliotrope rash.

What does polymyositis feel like?

What does an abnormal EMG sound like?

They can have the morphology of simple motor unit action potentials (MUAPs), or they can be complex and large if they represent a pathologic motor unit. The firing pattern is irregular, has a low frequency of 1 to 2 Hz, and sounds like “large raindrops on a tin roof.”

How can you tell the difference between lupus and dermatomyositis?

Lupus Rash. Dermatomyositis and autoimmune diseases like lupus may have overlapping features; however, the rashes look very different. A dermatomyositis rash has a purple-red hue that usually appears on your eyelids and joints like the knuckles, elbows, knees, and toes.

What are 2 causes of polymyositis?

Causes and Risk Factors for Polymyositis

• Autoimmune conditions such as: Lupus. Rheumatoid arthritis. Scleroderma. Sjogren’s syndrome.
• Viral infections like HIV and AIDS.
• Diseases that affect your ability to breathe.

What can cause abnormal EMG?

An abnormal EMG result may be a sign of a muscle or nerve disorder, such as:

• Polymyositis.
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Myotonic (stiff) muscles.
• Damage or disease of the motor nerve, such as can be seen with nerve disease.