Dermatomyositis--Part 1: Definition, Epidemiology, Etiology and Pathogenesis, and Clinics.

Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder that affects the skin, muscles, and blood vessels. The prevailing clinical manifestations are intense erythema, typically around the eyes and dorsum of the hands, accompanied by proximal muscle weakness. There is one clinical form, called amyopathic dermatomyositis, which lacks muscular symptoms and laboratory evidence of muscle damage.