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Review
. 2020 Nov;32(6):523-527.
doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000745.

Up-to-date treatment and management of myositis

Nicolò Pipitone  1 , Carlo Salvarani  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Up-to-date treatment and management of myositis

Nicolò Pipitone et al. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Myositis, or idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, is an overarching concept that includes dermatomyositis, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy and the antisynthetase syndrome. Glucocorticoids are still considered the mainstay of treatment of myositis but some patients require add-on immunosuppressive therapy because of insufficient response to glucocorticoids, relapses when glucocorticoids are tapered, or because they incur glucocorticoid-related side effects.

Recent findings: The goal of this article was to review (PubMed search from January 2019 through June 2020) the efficacy and safety of standard and novel agents used in adult dermatomyositis, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy and the antisynthetase syndrome.

Summary: Established therapies beyond glucocorticoids continue to have a major role in managing patients with myositis. In addition, novel agents are being tried for refractory manifestations of myositis.

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References

    1. Basharat P, Christopher-Stine L. Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy: update on diagnosis and management. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2015; 17:72.
    1. Pipitone N, Salvarani C. Treatment of inflammatory myopathies. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2018; 14:607–621.
    1. Bunch TW, Worthington JW, Combs JJ, et al. Azathioprine with prednisone for polymyositis. A controlled, clinical trial. Ann Intern Med 1980; 92:365–369.
    1. Lundberg I, Chung Y. Treatment and investigation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2000; 39:7–17.
    1. Vencovsky J, Jarosova K, Machacek S, et al. Cyclosporine A versus methotrexate in the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Scand J Rheumatol 2000; 29:95–102.

MeSH terms

Supplementary concepts