Guide To Dermatomyositis Complications And Related Conditions

Myocarditis

An individual with dermatomyositis is at a greater risk of developing myocarditis than someone who is not affected by dermatomyositis. Myocarditis is inflammation that develops in an individual's heart muscle, the myocardium. An individual who develops myocarditis may experience symptoms like shortness of breath, heart arrhythmias, fatigue, and chest pain. Some individuals develop myocarditis as a part of a larger abnormal immune reaction where their immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body by mistake. It is thought that the association between myocarditis and dermatomyositis has to do with the theory they are both conditions caused by abnormal immune system reactions. It is thought that the same inflammatory cells surrounding the heart muscle tissues and small blood vessels that are located in other muscles cause the destruction of the healthy muscle fibers in the heart and other skeletal muscle tissues.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis development may be associated with or a complication of a previous diagnosis of dermatomyositis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes the components of an individual's joints to become inflamed. It develops when an individual's immune system inappropriately attacks the healthy tissues of their synovium. The synovium is the membranous structure inside of a joint between two or more bones that contain fluids. These fluids and membranes protect the bones and cartilage and provide lubrication. When the synovium becomes inflamed and swollen, it causes damage to the cartilage that protects the bones in the joint. This malfunction allows the individual's bones of the affected joint to erode rapidly with normal use. A dermatomyositis patient may develop rheumatoid arthritis because the cells in the joint tissues may contain molecularly similar compounds and proteins as the cells that make up the affected muscle tissues.