Myositis and Patient Safety

Myositis Diagnosis and Clinical Case Reports

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The following symptoms are most common: Muscle pain and tenderness, often appearing first in the hips and shoulders, Muscle weakness, Difficulty with everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or rising from a chair, General fatigue (tiredness), Difficulty speaking or swallowing, Shortness of breath or coughing, Skin rash, Joint pain and swelling, Weight loss, Sensitivity to cold in the extremities (Raynaud's phenomenon), Fever, Atrophy (loss of muscle mass).

A diagnosis of myositis usually involves: A thorough patient history and physical exam, including hands-on tests of muscle strength. Blood tests for elevated levels of muscle enzymes and/or chemical inflammation markers. Electro-diagnostic testing, this uses needles and electrodes to measure muscle and motor nerve activity. Muscle or skin biopsy, in which a tissue sample is examined under a microscope. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to pinpoint areas of muscle weakness. Other tests to rule out diseases with similar symptoms.