Dermatomyositis

X-Ray of the knee in a patient with dermatomyositis. Dermatomyositis is connective-tissue disease that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin. Its cause is unknown, but it may result from either a viral infection or an autoimmune reaction. Up to 50% of the cases may be a paraneoplastic phenomenon, indicating the presence of cancer. X-ray findings include dystrophic calcifications in the muscles. There is a form of this disorder that strikes children, known as juven ...