Prolonged remission of dermatomyositis and autoantibody negativization following SARS-CoV-2 infection in an elderly patient.
Angelo Nigro
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
An 80-year-old patient with dermatomyositis diagnosed in 2014 had initially responded to methotrexate. After severe SARS-CoV-2 infection with significant pulmonary involvement in March 2022, methotrexate was stopped. Dermatomyositis remained in complete remission without relapse, and repeated evaluations showed sustained autoantibody negativization. Capillaroscopy nevertheless continued to show abnormalities, suggesting possible subclinical disease activity.
What made this case unusual
Remission persisted after methotrexate discontinuation following severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, alongside sustained autoantibody negativization, despite persistent capillaroscopic abnormalities.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Clinical remission and negative autoantibodies may coexist with persistent capillaroscopic abnormalities in dermatomyositis; these findings do not necessarily indicate complete resolution of disease activity.
Why it matters
The temporal association raises a question about SARS-CoV-2 and immune modulation, but a single case cannot establish that infection caused the remission or antibody changes.