Korean J Med.  1997 Jan;52(1):120-125.

A Case of Primary idiopathic Polymyositis with Hypoalbuminemia and Thrombocytopenia

• Park SS
• Yoo WH
• Kim JH
• Song HM
• Yim CY

Abstract

Primary idiopathic polymyositis is a condition of presumed autoimmune etiology in which the skeletal muscle is damaged by a nonsuppurative inflammatory process dominated by lymphocytic infiltration. We recently experienced a patient with primary idiopathic Polymyositis associated with hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. About 4 months prior to admission, he was diagnosed as primary idiopathic polymyositis, and improved by treatment with prednisolone 60 mg/day. During steroid tapering, muscle weakness was recurred and accompanied by hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. Despite retreatment with prednisolone 60 mg/day, muscle weakness, hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia persisted. He was then started to administer methotrexate(MTX) 15 mg/week which resulted in prompt improvement of muscle weakness, hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. These findnigs suggest that primary idiopathic polymyositis is one of the cause of hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia, and that the hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia can be improved promptly by methotrexate treatment.

Keyword

Polymyositis; Hypoalbuminemia; Thrombocytopenia; Methotrexate(MTX)

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hypoalbuminemia*
Methotrexate
Muscle Weakness
Muscle, Skeletal
Polymyositis*
Prednisolone
Retreatment
Thrombocytopenia*
Methotrexate
Prednisolone