Long-term efficacy of intravenously administered immunoglobulin in a case of polymyositis with limited application of steroid therapy
Hideki Nakamura1 , Keita Fujikawa2 , Atsushi Kawakami1 , Mami Tamai1 , Satoshi Yamasaki1 , Hiroaki Ida1 , Katsumi Eguchi1
19 January 2010
11 March 2010
10 April 2010
PDF (member's only)
A 72-year-old man who had been diagnosed with polymyositis (PM) was admitted to our hospital for pneumonia with exacerbation of muscle weakness, elevation of muscle enzymes, and positive magnetic resonance imaging findings. The patient had been refractory to cyclosporine A or azathioprine and hoped to avoid administration of high-dose steroids; IV immunoglobulin (IVIG) was therefore administered after improvement of the pneumonia. Two weeks after the IVIG therapy, muscle test scores, activities of daily living, and muscle enzymes were drastically improved. Twenty months after IVIG, no relapse of PM was observed.
Intravenously administered immunoglobulin - Polymyositis - Immunosuppressive therapy - Prednisolone