Difficulties in the diagnosis of antisynthetase syndrome

Abstract

Antisynthetase syndrome is a rare subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, characterised by co-ocurrence of myositis, arthritis, interstitial lung disease, Raynaud phenomenon, fever and mechanic’s hands. Symptoms frequently appear asynchronously. The presence of antisynthetase antibodies in a patient’s serum is considered an immunological hallmark of the disease. Arriving at a proper diagnosis of antisynthetase syndrome remains a considerable challenge, and the diagnosis is often delayed. The manuscript discusses possible obstacles in the diagnostic process of antisynthetase syndrome.