Clinical analysis of gastrointestinal involvement in polymyositis and dermatomyositis

Objective:To investigate the incidence,clinical feature,risk factors of gastrointestinal involvement in polymyositis(PM)and dermatomyositis(DM).Methods:Clinical and laboratory data of the patients diagnosed with PM or DM between Mar.1986 and Jun.2010 in the hospital were collected and compared in patients with and without gastrointestinal involvement.Results:Out of 192 patients there were 82 cases(42.7%)with gastrointestinal involvement.Of which 71 had dysphagia,8 had oesophageal hiatus disorder,8 had esophagitis,10 had oesophageal motility disorders,6 had weakened peristole,2 had decreased gastric tonus,1 had pseudomembranous enteritis and 1 had pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis.There were no statistical significance between the two groups in diagnosis(PM/DM)and sexuality,but the average onset age was younger in the group with gastrointestinal involvement than the group without gastrointestinal involvement,and the incidence of difficulty in raising head was higher in the former group than the latter one,while the incidence of interstitial lung disease was lower in the latter group(all P0.05).No significant difference were observed in other clinical features like general fatigue,Gottron's sign,heliotrope erythra,neither in laboratory parameters like creatinekinase,erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C reative protein.There were no significant difference in types of gastrointestinal involvement between patients with PM and those with DM.Conclusion:Gastrointestinal involvement more frequently occurred in younger PM/DM patients and those with difficulty in raising heads,while ILD seems negative correlated with gastrointestinal involvement in PM/DM patients.