Juvenile dermatomyositis: novel treatment approaches and outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to provide a summary of the recent therapeutic advances and the latest research on outcome measures for juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

RECENT FINDINGS: Several new international studies have developed consensus-based guidelines on diagnosis, outcome measures and treatment of JDM to standardize and improve patient care. Myositis-specific antibodies together with muscle biopsy histopathology may help the clinician to predict disease outcome. A newly developed MRI-based scoring system has been developed to standardize the use of MRI in assessing disease activity in JDM. New data regarding the efficacy and safety of rituximab, especially for skin disease, and cyclophosphamide in JDM support the use of these medications for severe refractory cases.

SUMMARY: International network studies, new biomarkers and outcome measures have led to significant progress in understanding and managing the rare inflammatory myositis conditions such as JDM.