Oral lesions during dermatomyositis treatment: A case report

Abstract

Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes significant muscle damage. The diagnosis and treatment of this disease commonly requires both therapeutic and dental care. This article describes a clinical case of dermatomyositis where the patient has been receiving therapy since 2018. Stable disease remission was achieved with therapy, with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) indicating an improvement in bone tissue parameters. However, despite this remission, the patient experienced progressive dental manifestations (characteristic complaints, presence of oral mucosal lesions, destruction of jawbone structures). The primary cause of these dental manifestations was not found to be local oral cavity factors, suggesting they were the consequence of both disease pathology and steroid treatment that targeted the oral cavity tissues. The collaboration between an internist and dentist contributed to the early diagnosis and prevention of possible complications associated with this disease.