A patient with antihistidyl-tRNA synthetase positive polymyositis presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Abstract

We describe an unusual case of a 48-year-old white woman diagnosed with positive antihistidyl-trna synthetase antibody polymyositis (PM) shortly after suffering from life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In view of the fact that evaluation for infectious or noninfectious etiologies of ARDS was unrevealing, we reasoned that systemic inflammation in early subclinical PM may have precipitated alveolar-capillary membrane injury. One year after onset, PM has been maintained in remission with oral prednisone and azathioprine. This is the first report of a patient in whom ARDS was the presenting feature of anti-Jo-1 positive PM.

• Authors: Riccardo Polosa, Cosimo Di Mauro, Barbaro Spampinato, Luigi Castelli, Giuseppe D'Amico, Cristopher J Edwards, Cristina Russo
• Journal: Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases (J Clin Rheumatol) Vol. 14 Issue 4 Pg. 219-21 (Aug 2008) ISSN: 1536-7355 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18766122 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antirheumatic Agents
• Autoantibodies
• Histidine-tRNA Ligase
• Azathioprine
• Prednisone

Topics

• Antirheumatic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Autoantibodies (immunology)
• Azathioprine (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Histidine-tRNA Ligase (immunology)
• Humans
• Lung Diseases, Interstitial (complications)
• Middle Aged
• Polymyositis (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Prednisone (therapeutic use)
• Respiratory Distress Syndrome (etiology)