Mednet Logo
CommunityNeurology

What suspected myositis manifestations drive you to start empiric therapy before the work-up is complete?

Myositis specific antibodies and pathology results often take weeks to result. In which cases do you start therapy before the diagnosis is solidified (e.g., extremely elevated CK, respiratory failure)?
1 Answer
Mednet Member
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Rheumatology · Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
Answered on

When evaluating a patient with myositis, I would consider starting immediate therapy when 1) my suspicion of myositis is high (i.e. characteristic rashes, compatible constellation of symptoms, very high CPK) and 2) the symptoms are severe. It would be the severity of the symptoms that would drive ho...

Join for free or sign in to see the full answer