The MITAX, MYOACT and MDI tools, which are now undergoing validity testing, should enhance the consistency, comprehensiveness and reliability of disease activity and damage assessment in patients with myositis.

Objective. To validate manual muscle testing (MMT) for strength assessment in juvenile and adult dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM).Methods. Patients with PM/DM (73 children and 45 adults) were assessed at baseline and reevaluated 6 -9 months later. We compared Total MMT (a group of 24 proximal, distal, and axial muscles) and Proximal MMT (7 proximal muscle groups) tested bilaterally on a 0 -10 scale with 144 subsets of 6 and 96 subsets of 8 muscle groups tested unilaterally. Expert consensus was used to rank the best abbreviated MMT subsets for face validity and ease of assessment.

Objective. We undertook this study to validate the Myositis Damage Index (MDI) in juvenile and adult myositis, to describe the degree and types of damage and to develop predictors of damage.Methods. Retrospective MDI evaluations and prospective assessment of disease activity and illness features were conducted. Patients with juvenile-onset disease (n ‫؍‬ 143) were evaluated a median of 18 months after diagnosis; 135 patients were assessed 7-9 months later, and 121 were last assessed a median of 82 months after diagnosis. Ninety-six patients with adult-onset dermatomyositis or polymyositis had a baseline assessment a median of 30 months after diagnosis; 77 patients had a 6-month followup evaluation, and 55 had a final assessment a median of 60 months after diagnosis.Results. Damage was present in 79% of juvenile patients and in 97% of adult patients. In juveniles, scarring, contractures, persistent weakness, muscle dysfunction, and calcinosis were most frequent (23-30%) at the last evaluation. In adults, muscle atrophy, muscle dysfunction, and muscle weakness were most frequent (74-84%). MDI severity correlated with physicianassessed global damage, serum creatinine, and muscle atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging, and in juveniles also with functional disability and weakness. MDI damage scores and frequency were highest in patients with a chronic illness course and in adult patients who died. Predictors of damage included functional disability, duration of active disease, disease severity at diagnosis, physician-assessed global disease activity, and illness features, including ulcerations in children and pericarditis in adults.Conclusion. Damage is common in myositis after a median duration of 5 years in patients with adultonset disease and 6.8 years in patients with juvenileonset disease. The MDI has good content, construct, and predictive validity in juvenile and adult myositis.The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) constitute a common cause of acquired myopathy in adults and children. These systemic autoimmune diseases, although treatable with immunosuppressive medications, often result in a chronic illness course, func-

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