A subacute or chronic inflammatory disease of muscle and skin, marked by proximal muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash. The illness occurs with approximately equal frequency in children and adults. The skin lesions usually take the form of a purplish rash (or less often an exfoliative dermatitis) involving the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper trunk, and arms. The disease is associated with a complement mediated intramuscular microangiopathy, leading to loss of capillaries, muscle ischemia, muscle-fiber necrosis, and perifascicular atrophy. The childhood form of this disease tends to evolve into a systemic vasculitis. Dermatomyositis may occur in association with malignant neoplasms. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1405-6)

Descriptor ID	D003882
MeSH Number(s)	C05.651.594.819.500 C10.668.491.562.575.500 C17.300.250 C17.800.185
Concept/Terms	Dermatomyositis Dermatomyositis Dermatomyositides Dermatopolymyositis Dermatopolymyositides Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis Polymyositis Dermatomyositis Polymyositis-Dermatomyositides Dermatomyositis, Childhood Type Dermatomyositis, Childhood Type Childhood Type Dermatomyositides Childhood Type Dermatomyositis Dermatomyositides, Childhood Type Dermatomyositis, Adult Type Dermatomyositis, Adult Type Adult Type Dermatomyositides Adult Type Dermatomyositis Dermatomyositides, Adult Type

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more general than "Dermatomyositis".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is related to "Dermatomyositis".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more specific than "Dermatomyositis".