National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Juvenile dermatomyositis

Juvenile dermatomyositis has some similarities to adult dermatomyositis and polymyositis. It typically affects children ages 2 to 15 years, with symptoms that include weakness of the muscles close to the trunk of the body, inflammation, edema, muscle pain, fatigue, skin rashes, abdominal pain, fever, and contractures. Children with juvenile dermatomyositis may have difficulty swallowing and breathing, and the heart may also be affected.  About 20 to 30 percent of children with juvenile dermatomyositis develop calcium deposits in the soft tissue. Affected children may not show higher than normal levels of the muscle enzyme creatine kinase in their blood but have higher than normal levels of other muscle enzymes.[1] Treatment is aimed at addressing the individual symptoms of each patient. This may involve a combination of medications, physical therapy and supplements.[2]
Last updated: 7/25/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

Showing of 45 |
Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Autoimmunity
Autoimmune disease
Autoimmune disorder
[ more ] 		0002960
Calcinosis
Calcium buildup in soft tissues of body
0003761
Dry skin 0000958
Elevated C-reactive protein level 0011227
Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
High ESR
0003565
Elevated serum creatine kinase
Elevated blood creatine phosphokinase
Elevated circulating creatine phosphokinase
Elevated creatine kinase
Elevated serum CPK
Elevated serum creatine phosphokinase
High serum creatine kinase
Increased CPK
Increased creatine kinase
Increased creatine phosphokinase
Increased serum CK
Increased serum creatine kinase
Increased serum creatine phosphokinase
[ more ] 		0003236
Erythema 0010783
Fatigue
Tired
Tiredness
[ more ] 		0012378
Mucosal telangiectasiae 0100579
Muscle weakness
Muscular weakness
0001324
Myalgia
Muscle ache
Muscle pain
[ more ] 		0003326
Myositis
Muscle inflammation
0100614
Palpebral edema
Fullness of eyelids
Puffy eyelids
Puffy lids
Swelling of eyelids
[ more ] 		0100540
Skin rash 0000988
Telangiectasia of the skin 0100585
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Alopecia
Hair loss
0001596
Arthralgia
Joint pain
0002829
Arthritis
Joint inflammation
0001369
Constipation 0002019
Cutaneous photosensitivity
Photosensitive skin
Photosensitive skin rashes
Photosensitivity
Sensitivity to sunlight
Skin photosensitivity
Sun sensitivity
[ more ] 		0000992
Fever 0001945
Muscle spasm 0003394
Muscular hypotonia
Low or weak muscle tone
0001252
Poikiloderma 0001029
Pruritus
Itching
Itchy skin
Skin itching
[ more ] 		0000989
Restrictive ventilatory defect
Stiff lung or chest wall causing decreased lung volume
0002091
Skin ulcer
Open skin sore
0200042
Vasculitis
Inflammation of blood vessel
0002633
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abdominal pain
Pain in stomach
Stomach pain
[ more ] 		0002027
Angina pectoris 0001681
Arrhythmia
Abnormal heart rate
Heart rhythm disorders
Irregular heart beat
Irregular heartbeat
[ more ] 		0011675
Bundle branch block 0011710
Cardiomyopathy
Disease of the heart muscle
0001638
Cough
Coughing
0012735
Dysarthria
Difficulty articulating speech
0001260
Dysphagia
Poor swallowing
Swallowing difficulties
Swallowing difficulty
[ more ] 		0002015
Dysphonia
Inability to produce voice sounds
0001618
Dyspnea
Trouble breathing
0002094
EMG abnormality 0003457
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage
Gastrointestinal bleeding
0002239
Hoarse voice
Hoarseness
Husky voice
[ more ] 		0001609
Limitation of joint mobility
Decreased joint mobility
Decreased mobility of joints
Limited joint mobility
Limited joint motion
[ more ] 		0001376
Pericarditis
Swelling or irritation of membrane around heart
0001701
Pulmonary fibrosis 0002206
Weight loss 0001824
Showing of 45 |
Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnosis in JDM may include mitochondrial myopathies, infectious myopathies, other forms of inflammatory myopathies, particularly autoimmune necrotizing myopathy (see this term), as well as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Becker muscular dystrophy, systemic lupus erythematosus, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (see these terms).
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Juvenile dermatomyositis. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Organizations Providing General Support

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

  • The Assistance Fund provides various services, including education and financial aid, to help patients with a chronic or serious illness cover the cost of FDA-approved medications. Patients must be U.S citizens or permanent residents.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Juvenile dermatomyositis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Inflammatory Myopathies Fact Sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). July 27, 2015; http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/inflammatory_myopathies/detail_inflammatory_myopathies.htm.
  2. Myositis: Treatment. The Myositis Association. March 2015; http://www.myositis.org/learn-about-myositis/treatment.