Magnetic resonance imaging detection of occult skin and subcutaneous abnormalities in juvenile dermatomyositis. Implications for diagnosis and therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia in evaluating disease activity in juvenile dermatomyositis (DM).

METHODS

Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI of the proximal thighs and buttocks, cutaneous assessment, and other measures of disease activity were prospectively obtained in 26 children meeting criteria for probable or definite juvenile DM. Also undergoing STIR MRI assessment were 8 subjects who were being evaluated for muscle disorders and who were not diagnosed as having juvenile DM.

RESULTS

Skin, subcutaneous, or fascial edema of the thighs and buttocks were seen on STIR MRI in up to 85% of juvenile DM patients at baseline evaluation compared with no more than 38% of the comparison group without juvenile DM. In juvenile DM, STIR MRI skin and subcutaneous edema scores correlated (r(s) = 0.51, P = 0.008), as did fascial and muscle edema scores (r(s) = 0.58, P = 0.002). Skin global disease activity scores correlated with MRI skin edema scores (r(s) = 0.41, P = 0.04), and serum aldolase levels correlated with both MRI skin and subcutaneous edema scores (r = 0.44 and 0.40, P = 0.03 and 0.05 respectively). The extent and severity of STIR MRI changes in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia were not predicted by most other measures of juvenile DM disease activity. Five juvenile DM patients with thigh MRI subcutaneous edema developed clinically apparent calcinosis at the same location within 9 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Edema or inflammation in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia, found on STIR MRI, is common in juvenile DM patients and is often undetected by standard assessments. These MRI changes can precede the development of calcinosis. STIR MRI may be a useful adjunct for assessing disease activity and guiding the treatment of juvenile DM.