Calcinosis Cutis in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: Remarkable Response to Aluminum Hydroxide Therapy

To the Editor.— Calcinosis cutis may be the most troublesome and debilitating complication in juvenile dermatomyositis. The pathophysiology of this peculiar state is unknown. Treatment, so far, remains unsatisfactory. We report a case of juvenile dermatomyositis with calcinosis cutis that showed remarkable response to orally administered aluminum hydroxide. Report of a Case.— A 13-year-old girl was admitted to our department in August 1986. The patient suffered from multiple erythematous, slightly elevated, papular eruptions over the cheek, trunk, both arms, and both legs, associated with proximal muscle weakness and fever, at the age of 2 years. The diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis was made in another hospital, and the patient was treated with low-dose orally administered prednisolone thereafter. In 1982, a flare-up of skin lesions occurred and was followed one year later by multiple yellow-white nodules and plaques protruding over the forehead, back, and upper extremities. On examination, the child appeared with