Dermatomyositis (DM) is a critical disease that affects the quality of life of middle-aged and older patients. The clinical findings of DM can be determined by serological profiles of autoantibodies specific to DM. We report the case of a 65-year-old female patient with anti-Mi-2 antibody-positive DM and severe muscular findings. She endured muscular symptoms for three months without appropriate treatment. The patient was successfully treated with prednisolone, azathioprine, and intravenous immunoglobulins. This case highlights the importance of intensive treatment of DM with extremely high creatine kinase levels with steroids, immunosuppressants, and immunoglobulin treatments and the necessity of education on help-seeking behaviors in dealing with symptoms among rural older people to prevent the progression of autoimmune diseases and treat them at an early stage.
Keywords: anti-mi2 antibody; azathioprine; creatine kinase; dermatomyositis; family medicine; immunoglobulin; rural hospital.
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