[Mamati Khala]

Mamati Khala  asked the Naked Scientists:
   Hi Chris,

My aunt has been diagnosed with polymyocitis (sp).In the beginning she had Deep Vein Thrombosis and it affected her left leg,causing it to clot.This later affected her lungs and her heart as it got more complicated. She has been in and out of hospital but cannot be cured.It has become so serious that the polymyocitis collapses her immune system and her muscles collapse and a virus attacks her any part of her body causing it to swell.

Kindly advise as to what is causing this and how can it be treated and if there are any specialists that can be seen to help her.

Kind regards,

Mamati Khala
What do you think?

[RD]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymyositis

Should minimize exposure to sunlight (UV) as the entire syndrome can be made worse by sun-exposure, not just the skin manifestations.

http://www.fpnotebook.com/rheum/Diffuse/PlymystsMngmnt.htm

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2009/niehs-30.htm

If the PM symptoms are recent, (not chronic, or familial), then a paraneoplastic origin should be considered, particularly in an older person ... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3616231
if so the PM could be resolved if the tumour could be removed.

[malinamartis]

The factors increase your chance of developing polymyositis age between 50 to 70 years old.Generally you may get weakness in the muscles in hips and shoulders, weight loss & difficulty in breathing.

[cerrybold]

Currently no cause of polymyositis has been isolated by scientific researchers.  There is indirect evidence of infection by a virus that has yet to be identified in a form of polymyositis that is particularly resistant to treatment, called inclusion body myositis. This form of polymyositis is diagnosed by the pathologist, a physician specialist who interprets the microscope findings of muscle tissue. The muscle tissue in this form of polymyositis displays clear areas within the muscle cells.