Diseases

Polymyositis

Diseases characterized by inflammation involving multiple muscles. This may occur as an acute or chronic condition associated with medication toxicity (DRUG TOXICITY); CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES; infections; malignant NEOPLASMS; and other disorders. The term polymyositis is frequently used to refer to a specific clinical entity characterized by subacute or slowly progressing symmetrical weakness primarily affecting the proximal limb and trunk muscles. The illness may occur at any age, but is most frequent in the fourth to sixth decade of life. Weakness of pharyngeal and laryngeal muscles, interstitial lung disease, and inflammation of the myocardium may also occur. Muscle biopsy reveals widespread destruction of segments of muscle fibers and an inflammatory cellular response. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1404-9)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Diseases characterized by inflammation involving multiple muscles. This may occur as an acute or chronic condition associated with medication toxicity (DRUG TOXICITY); CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES; infections; malignant NEOPLASMS; and other disorders. The term polymyositis is frequently used to refer to a specific clinical entity characterized by subacute or slowly progressing symmetrical weakness primarily affecting the proximal limb and trunk muscles. The illness may occur at any age, but is most frequent in the fourth to sixth decade of life. Weakness of pharyngeal and laryngeal muscles, interstitial lung disease, and inflammation of the myocardium may also occur. Muscle biopsy reveals widespread destruction of segments of muscle fibers and an inflammatory cellular response. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1404-9)

MeSH Record

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

10 entry terms
  • Myositis, Multiple
  • Multiple Myositis
  • Myositides, Multiple
  • Polymyositides
  • Polymyositis Ossificans
  • Polymyositis, Idiopathic
  • Idiopathic Polymyositides
  • Idiopathic Polymyositis
  • Ossificans, Polymyositis
  • Polymyositides, Idiopathic

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

History Note

93

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Myositis (1966-1992)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C05w.651w.594w.819w
  2. C10w.668w.491w.562w.575w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Polymyositis. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D017285. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D017285
  2. Polymyositis. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymyositis
  3. Polymyositis. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q980926