The Clinical Heterogenicity and the Diagnostic Challenges of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

Author(s): Fadi Hassan, Amir Saab, Ziv Paz, Edith Abramovici, Mohammad E Naffaa

Objective: The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders. Determining the diagnosis of the specific type of IIM based on the current diagnostic criteria correlate poorly with the clinical course and outcomes. New and more accurate classification criteria are needed.

Methods: Five cases of IIM who were followed at the rheumatology division at Galilee Medical Center between 2017 and 2019. The data was retrospectively extracted from the hospital electronical medical record

Results: Records of 5 patients diagnosed with IIMs were reviewed including 3 patients diagnosed with Antisynthetase syndrome (AAS) and 2 patients diagnosed with Dermatomyositis (DM) and Polymoysitis (PM) respectively. The clinical presentation of those patients was heterogeneous as well as their response to treatment.

Conclusions: The current classification criteria aims to classify the patients into homogenous groups. However, even with the current classification criteria, patients diagnosed within the same subgroup, e.g. AAS, may still have variable clinical presentations and unpredictable response to treatment, emphasizing the unmet need for a better classification criteria.

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