Polymyositis

Diagnosing myositis

Your GP will ask you about your symptoms and examine you.If they think you may have myositis, youll need to have some tests to help rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Tests you may have include:

blood tests to check for raised levels of enzymes andantibodies in your blood
muscle or skin biopsy a small sample of muscle tissue and/or skin may be taken so it can be examined for inflammation, damage and other abnormalities
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans modern scanners are able to accurately detect the extent of inflammatory changes in the muscles and distinguishareas of true inflammation from other areas close by, where the muscle fibres have been replaced by fat or fibrous tissue
electromyography (EMG)a small needle-shaped electrode is inserted through your skin and into your muscle, using a local anaesthetic , to record the electrical signals from the nerve endings in your muscles; an abnormal pattern of electrical activity may indicate that you have polymyositis or dermatomyositis

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for polymyositis

Introduction

Find out about myositis, including the different types of myositis, how it's diagnosed and treated and the possible complications.

Types of myositis

There are different types of myositis which all affect the muscles, including: polymyositis which affects many different muscles, particularly theshoulders, hips and thigh muscles; it's more commo

Symptoms of polymyositis

Polymyositisaffects many different muscles, particularly around the neck, shoulders, back, hips and thighs. Symptoms include: muscle weakness aching or painfulmuscles extreme tiredness generally

Symptoms of dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis also affects the muscles and the symptoms are similar to those of polymyositis (see above). But in addition there's also a distinctive rash. Before the muscle symptoms occur, a red

Diagnosing myositis

Your GP will ask you about your symptoms and examine you.If they think you may have myositis, youll need to have some tests to help rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. Tests you may have

Treating myositis

Exercise and physiotherapy You must be very careful about exercising if you have severe symptoms of myositis, such as severe muscle pain and weakness. Most specialists don't recommend exercising duri

Outlook

Most people withmyositis respond to a combination of steroid and immunosuppressive therapy, alongside carefully-controlled exercise. Steroids are often needed, in very low doses, for several years as

Some people with myositisrespond less well to treatment and find the condition significantly affects their everyday activities and quality of life. But continuing toexercise usually helps improve musc

Help and support

Myositis UK provides further information, help and support for people who arediagnosed withmyositis and their families. The Myositis Association (of America) also provides information about polymyos

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