Juvenile Dermatomyositis in a Two-Year-Old Yemeni Girl in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Case Report

Abstract

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare systemic autoimmune vasculopathy primarily affecting children. It is characterized by muscular weakness and distinctive skin findings. This report describes the case of a two-year-old Yemeni girl from a resource-limited setting who presented with prolonged fever and later developed classic JDM symptoms, including malar rash, skin nodules, calcifications, and lower limb muscle weakness. Despite the unavailability of advanced diagnostic tools, the diagnosis was made based on clinical findings, elevated inflammatory markers, and muscle enzyme levels. Management included oral prednisolone, resulting in significant clinical improvement. This case highlights the challenges of diagnosing and managing atypical JDM presentations in resource-constrained areas while emphasizing the importance of clinical vigilance and multidisciplinary care. It also underscores the need for increasing awareness and better diagnostic access in low-resource settings. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of JDM in Yemen.

Keywords: children disease; diagnostic delay; high fever; juvenil dermatomyositis; yemen.

Figure 1. Normal AP supine chest X-ray

AP: anteroposterior

Figure 2. Skin nodules and areas of calcification on the left upper arm