Two simultaneous autoimmune processes in a patient presenting with respiratory insufficiency

Lauren Troy; Paul Hamor; Jane Bleasel; Tamera Corte

doi:10.1002/rcr2.36

Two simultaneous autoimmune processes in a patient presenting with respiratory insufficiency

Respirol Case Rep. 2014 Mar;2(1):21-3. doi: 10.1002/rcr2.36. Epub 2013 Dec 20.

Authors

Lauren Troy¹, Paul Hamor¹, Jane Bleasel², Tamera Corte³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; Department of Rheumatology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 25473554
PMCID: PMC4184724
DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.36

Abstract

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including dermatomyositis, are uncommon acquired autoimmune diseases, sometimes associated with interstitial lung disease. Myasthenia gravis, a separate autoimmune disorder involving the neuromuscular junction, has some overlapping clinical features but has only rarely been reported to occur simultaneously within the same patient. Here we present the first reported case of concomitant dermatomyositis, myasthenia gravis, and interstitial lung disease.

Keywords: Autoimmune diseases; dermatomyositis; interstitial lung disease; myasthenia gravis; respiratory insufficiency.