What are the symptoms of dermatomyositis?

What are the symptoms of dermatomyositis?

The most common symptoms of dermatomyositis are muscle weakness and a rash on your skin.

Some people notice muscle weakness and a rash around the same time. You might have one symptom for weeks, months or even years without the other.

Muscle weakness might make it hard for you to do common motions, including:

• Sitting upright.
• Getting up from a seated position (like standing up from a chair or couch).
• Climbing stairs.
• Getting up after lying down.
• Washing your hair.

Dermatomyositis may cause a rash on your skin (especially on parts of your body exposed to the sun). Areas with a rash will be discolored and might be swollen. The most common locations include:

• Eyelids and around your eyes.
• Chest and the front of your shoulders (sometimes referred to as a v-sign rash).
• Neck and the back of your shoulders (a shawl sign rash).
• Scalp.

Other symptoms of dermatomyositis include:

• Discoloration and bumps (sometimes referred to as Gottron papules) on your hands, especially near your knuckles.
• Calcium deposits under your skin, in your muscles or in your connective tissue.
• Bumps on your knees or elbows.
• Ragged cuticles and prominent blood vessels on your fingernail folds.
• Joint pain.

Some people (especially kids) diagnosed with dermatomyositis grow out of it and never have symptoms again. However, 80% of cases are chronic (they come back over time) and cause lifelong symptoms.