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Polymyositis
Usual Age of Onset
Childhood to late adulthood
Disease Characteristics
Weakness of neck and limb muscles, sometimes with pain.
Disease severity and progression vary by individual. Sometimes associated with malignancy.
Often responds to drug therapy.
Inheritance
Not a genetic disease, though a genetic predisposition may exist.
The cause is unclear; researchers suspect viruses or
exposure to certain
drugs might trigger the misdirected immune response.
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Dermatomyositis
Usual Age of Onset
Childhood to late adulthood
Disease Characteristics
Weakness of neck and limb muscles, often with pain. Skin
rash typically affects cheeks, eyelids, neck, chest, and limbs.
Disease severity and progression vary. Sometimes
associated with malignancy. Often responds to drug therapy.
Inheritance
Not a genetic disease, though a genetic predisposition may exist.
The cause is unclear; researchers suspect viruses or
exposure to certain
drugs might trigger the misdirected immune response.
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Inclusion-Body Myositis
Usual Age of Onset
After age 50
Disease Characteristics
Weakness of arms, legs, hands, especially thighs, wrists, and fingers. Sometimes involves swallowing muscles.
Slowly progressive. More common in men than women.
Inheritance
Some genetic forms without much inflammation;
dominant or recessive.
The cause is unclear.
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Neuromuscular Diseases included in MDA's Programs
Muscular Dystrophies
Motor Neuron Diseases
Inflammatory Myopathies
Diseases of Neuromuscular Junction
Diseases of Peripheral Nerves
Metabolic Diseases of Muscle
Myopathies Due to Endocrine Abnormalities
Other Myopathies
Research
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