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Polymyositis and pregnancy: report of a case with three pregnancies
  1. THODOROS PAPAPETROPOULOS,
  2. NANTIA KANELLAKOPOULOU,
  3. EVAGELIA TSIBRI,
  4. CHRISTOS PASCHALIS
  1. University Department of Neurology, Medical School of Patras University, Greece
  1. Professor Thodoros Papapetropoulos, Department of Neurology, Medical School of Patras University, Regional University Hospital of Patras, PO Box 1045, 26 500 Rion, Greece.

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.64.3.406

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    Reports of polymyositis and dermatomyositis during pregnacy are uncommon and the available data referring to the possibility of recurrence as well as to the risks for the pregnant woman and the fetus are limited.

    The association of polymyositis-dermatomyositis and pregnancy is very rare, and this has been attributed to the low percentage (14%) of cases in which the disease begins during the reproductive period of a woman’s life1; it is also probable that family planning policy after the clinical manifestation of the disease lowers the association of polymyositis-dermatomyositis and pregnancy.

    A 35 year old woman was admitted to our neurological department (May 1992) after 16 weeks of pregnancy, with a six week history of fatigue, myalgia, and proximal muscle weakness of all four limbs which was progressively worsening.

    At the age of 17 years she had been investigated (blood biochemistry, EMG, and muscle biopsy) at the University Department of Neurology in Athens where the diagnosis of polymyositis (first episode) was established. …

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