Juvenile dermatomyositis

Juvenile dermatomyositis at a tertiary care hospital: is there any change in the last decade?

“…Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare, vasculopathic autoimmune disease of childhood, characterized by proximal symmetric muscle weakness, in addition to characteristic skin rash. It constitutes about 2.0–3.3% of pediatric rheumatology cases . Due to lack of effective treatment, outcome was poor prior to 1960 with mortality in one‐third of patients and one‐third developing serious disabilities .…”

The treatment and prognosis of dermatomyositis: An updated review

“…28 In general, patients with JDM usually have good outcomes. [29][30][31] A prospective case series by dermatologists 32 showed 85% of patients (18 of 21; 14 DM, 7 JDM) treated with approximately 1 mg/kg/d of prednisone, followed by a slow taper, responded with normal muscle strength in 4 months; and 18 patients had normal muscle strength at the end of the review. About 42% of these patients were corticosteroid free, whereas 26.3% were on low doses of prednisone nearing treatment's end.…”

Pulse steroid therapy

“…[12][13] Dexamethasone has been used for pulse therapy in diverse clinical conditions with favorable results. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Therapy with this drug is less expensive as compared to methylprednisolone [methylprednisolone (Solumedrol) Rs. 990 for 1 g, Rs.…”