Treatment approaches to juvenile dermatomyositis

Abstract

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare disease of childhood with significant morbidity. Although the mortality and morbidity has improved over recent decades, it is still a chronic disease for a significant proportion of children with JDM. There is a paucity of controlled trials in both adult and juvenile dermatomyositis. In this article, the different therapeutic agents used in clinical practice are outlined. Furthermore, our approach to the treatment of JDM with methotrexate and aggressively tapered steroids in an algorithmic fashion, is discussed.

• corticosteroids
• calcinosis
• juvenile dermatomyositis
• immunoglobulin
• methotrexate