Definition:
Myositis is a general medical term encompassing conditions with muscle inflammation. Most myositis disorders are caused by autoimmune factors, rather than directly due to infection.
Basically, the muscle fibers become damaged by inflammation, thus interfering with muscle contraction and eventually causing muscle weakness.
Some documented types of myositis include myositis ossificans, fibromyositis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathiesm, and pyomyositis.
Diagnosis:
Basic clinical signs often lead to diagnosis of myositis. Upon the first signs of indicative symptoms, physicians often conduct further diagnostic tests. Such tests include blood tests to measure muscle enzyme levels, an electromyogram to gauge the electrical activity of muscles, a muscle biopsy, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), a standard X-ray, and a CT scan.
Treatment:
Treatment strategies vary according to the specific type of myositis.
For idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, corticosteroid drug and intravenous immunoglobulin are usually the modes of choice.
Infectious myositis may be treated with bed rest and increased fluid intake, as well as administering various nonprescription drugs for fever and muscle aches.
In cases of benign acute myositis, pain medication is usually prescribed.
For myositis ossificans that persists over time, surgery may be recommended to remove the lump.
Drug-induced myositis, on the other hand, is treated by halting any medication that contributed to the condition. Corticosteroids may also help in recovery.
Symptoms and Signs:
Myositis can present with a weakness of the muscles, usually in the distal (feet and hands) muscles. Patients also complain of difficulty in swallowing, falling and tripping, and difficulty in holding or grabbing objects. Muscle pain and tenderness are also common symptoms.
There is also a variable array of other symptoms, which depend largely on the specific type of the myositis.
Causes:
The root cause of the myositis disease is currently unknown. Causal theories focus on the autoimmune aspect of the condition, with autoimmunity leading to inflammation of specific areas, thus resulting in muscle damage and even muscle death.
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