Juvenile dermatomyositis

Others

• Introduction and general characteristics
• Skin manifestations of JDM
  • 1. Skin lesions
  • 2. Diagnosis. Skin testing tools.
  • 3. What to watch for in a patient's skin? Precautions to keep in mind.
• Muscular symptoms in JDM
• Other manifestations of JDM
• Other complementary tests for JDM patients
• Treatment for JDM
• Results of the study about juvenile dermatomyositis (Rare Commons)

3. What to watch for in a patient's skin? Precautions to keep in mind.

• Exposure to sunlight or artificial sources such as tanning beds can aggravate the cutaneous lesions of JDM. Sun protection with physical (T-shirt, cap,...) and chemical (photoprotective cream) sunscreen is recommended in all patients with JDM.
• The appearance of new skin lesions usually reflects poor control of the disease. Therefore, in case of appearance of new lesions, a new medical evaluation is recommended. In case they are associated with disease activity, it is recommended to adjust immunosuppressive treatment.
• Calcinosis and/or lipodystrophy lesions, although they usually reflect persistent activity and/or poor control of the disease, can appear in the evolution, when the systemic disease is already controlled and sometimes they can be difficult to control.
• The appearance of erythema, increased temperature and/or pain in areas of previous calcinosis should be evaluated to rule out superinfection.
• The use of any medication increases the risk of skin lesions with exposure to sunlight. In addition, some drugs used in the treatment of JDM can cause skin lesions, as in the case of corticosteroids, whose prolonged use is associated with the appearance of acne and/or skin striae. Less frequently, hydroxychloroquine can cause skin lesions usually located on the palms of the hands.

 

Last modified

05 October 2023