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 lymphocytes 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.