Perioperative Anesthetic Management of a Patient with Dermatomyositis

ABSTRACT

Dermatomyositis is a relatively rare myopathy which is characterized by muscle weakness and chronic inflammatory changes in muscle and skin. Dermatomyositis typically presents with subacute, progressive proximal muscle weakness, a skin rash, or both. Other common extramuscular manifestations include various cardiac abnormality, interstitial lung disease, and malignancy. In dermatomyositis patients, various clinical features might be present depending on the severity of the disease, the presence and extent of the accompanying disease, and the response to muscle relaxants. There are not enough data about anesthetic management of patients with dermatomyositis. Therefore, dermatomyositis may be special problems for anesthesiologists in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative period. The author reports a case of perioperative management of a patient with dermatomyositis.