Childhood Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis
- 1 April 1979
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in American Journal of Diseases of Children
- Vol. 133 (4), 386-389
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130040040009
Abstract
• The conditions of three children with dermatomyositis and one child with polymyositis were treated for nine to 31 months with combined prednisone and intravenous methotrexate (1 mg/kg/wk) when prednisone alone was ineffective in controlling the disease or when there were substantial steroid-related toxic effects. All children showed a major clinical improvement within three months despite concomitant reduction of the prednisone dose. Three children completely recovered; one patient relapsed and died. The toxic effects of methotrexate included elevated liver transaminases (3/4), nausea (2/4), abdominal pain (2/4), bone pain (2/4), mild neutropenia (1/4), and mild pruritus (1/4). Intravenous methotrexate is an effective adjunct to steroid therapy in the treatment of steroid-resistant or life-threatening dermatomyositis-polymyositis or dermatomyositis-polymyositis complicated by severe steroid-related effects. (Am J Dis Child 133:386-389, 1979)This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- LIVER BIOPSIES FROM PSORIATICS RELATED TO METHOTREXATE THERAPYActa Pathologica Microbiologica Scandinavica Section A Pathology, 1977
- Drugs Five Years Later: MethotrexateAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1977
- Dermatomyositis in childhood. Review of eight cases.Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1976
- Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis: Combined Methotrexate and Corticosteroid TherapyAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1974
- Azathioprine Therapy in PolymyositisArchives of Internal Medicine, 1973
- Methotrexate-Induced Bone Pain in Childhood LeukemiaArchives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 1973
- Treatment of polymyositis with immunosuppressive drugsNeurology, 1973
- Immunosuppressive therapy in polymyositisJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 1971
- Factors Affecting Survivorship in Polymyositis. A Life‐Table Study of 124 PatientsArthritis & Rheumatism, 1971
- DERMATOMYOSITIS (SYSTEMIC ANGIOPATHY) OF CHILDHOODMedicine, 1966