The association of dermatomyositis and encephalopathy is exceptional but should be noted

Mexican clinicians report the clinical and immunological data of three patients with concomitant encephalopathy and dermatomyositis (DM):

• the three patients were adults in their fifties with no previous history of the disease,
• all met the criteria for dermatomyositis, including the presence of myositis-specific antibodies (in particular MDA5, Mi2 and TIF1g),
• the clinical picture included sub-acute cognitive deterioration with anterograde amnesia, as well as language and executive function disorders,
• functional brain imaging studies and a ‘NeuroPsi’ test were used to identify this deterioration,
• the immunological profile revealed a subpopulation of T lymphocytesC’est une catégorie de globules blancs. Ces petites cellules au noyau arrondi et volumineux sont impliquées dans les aspects spécifiques des réactions immunitaires. Il existe deux catégories de lymphocytes les lymphocytes B (qui secrètent les anticorps) et les lymphocytes T. positive for the PD-1 antigen.

The authors emphasise the rarity of this association and the favourable outcome, including central signs, after immunosuppressive treatment.

Dermatomyositis-Related Encephalopathy: Clinical, Neuroimaging and Immunological Characterization. Carrillo-Vázquez DA, Davizon-López CA, Gutiérrez-Castillo A et al. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 Mar.