Clinical features, pathogenesis and treatment of juvenile and adult dermatomyositis

Abstract

Juvenile and adult dermatomyositis (DM) have multiple commonalities, yet display differing prevalence of features, outcomes and comorbidities. In general, compared with the disease in adults, children with DM have more vasculopathy and a greater likelihood of calcinosis, periungual and gingival telangiectasias, and ulceration, but have a better long-term prognosis with improved survival. Adults with DM are more likely to have myositis-specific antibodies, develop interstitial lung disease, have amyopathic disease, and have a marked association with malignancy and other comorbidities. Both diseases have similar features on muscle biopsy and interferon gene signature, although subtle differences can exist in pathogenesis and pathology, such as more capillary loss and a greater degree of C5b-9 complement deposition in affected muscle of juvenile patients. Initiatives are underway to improve classification, markers of disease activity and ability to predict outcome of juvenile and adult DM. The purpose of this Review is to compare and contrast the unique features between juvenile and adult disease and to outline new initiatives in the field.