AUTOIMMUNE MYOSITIS AND EFFECT OF HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES OVER IT

Autoimmune myositis is a condition characterized by inflammatory and degenerative changes in the muscles (polymyositis, necrotizing immune-mediated myopathy) or in the skin and muscles (dermatomyositis). Manifestations include symmetric weakness, occasionally tenderness, and fibrous replacement of muscle, sometimes with atrophy, principally of the proximal limb girdle muscles.

Diagnosis is done by clinical findings and abnormalities on muscle tests, which may include creatine kinase test, MRI, electromyography, and muscle biopsy. Several types of myositis have pulmonary and cardiac manifestations.

Onset of autoimmune myositis may be acute (particularly in children) or insidious (particularly in adults). Polyarthralgias, Raynaud syndrome, dysphagia, pulmonary symptoms (eg, cough, dyspnea), and constitutional complaints (notably fever, fatigue, and weight loss) may also occur. Severe disease is characterized by dysphagia, dysphonia, and/or diaphragmatic weakness.

Muscle weakness may progress over weeks to months.Patients may have difficulty raising their arms above their shoulders, climbing steps, or rising from a sitting position. Sometimes muscle tenderness and atrophy develop. Patients may require the use of a wheelchair or become bedridden because of weakness of pelvic and shoulder girdle muscles. The flexors of the neck may be severely affected, causing an inability to raise the head from the pillow. Muscles of the hands, feet, and face are not involved except in inclusion body myositis, in which distal involvement, especially of the hands, is characteristic. Limb contractures rarely develop.

Joint manifestations include polyarthralgia or polyarthritis with swelling and other characteristics of nondeforming arthritis.

 Visceral involvement (except that of the pharynx and upper esophagus) is less common in autoimmune myositis.

 Skin changes, which occur in dermatomyositis, tend to be dusky and erythematous. Periorbital edema with a purplish appearance (heliotrope rash) is relatively specific for dermatomyositis.

Characteristic skin changes can occur in the absence of muscle disease, in which case the disease is called amyopathic dermatomyositis.

CONCLUSION: -

There are many Homoeopathic remedies which have shown their tremendous benefits over such disease condition.